Defense Ministry: Women increasingly enlisting in Ukrainian forces

A representative of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Oleksii Bezhevets, stated that 17-20% of all people contacting conscription centers are women willing to serve in the country's army. In June 2024, Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Olha Stefanishyna, revealed that over 10,000 women were carrying out combat missions directly on the front lines. Currently, many women are also studying how to operate artillery and reconnaissance systems and manage mechanized unit operations in Ukrainian universities.

“This is actually great because it shows the significant potential of women in the army,” Bezhevets believes.

He also mentioned frequent cases where women (wives, mothers, sisters) come to ask about vacant military positions for their husbands.

“There are different life situations, and that’s normal. That’s what we explain to people. Come, ask, even if it takes ten times. We are creating a system for you,” added the Defense Ministry representative.

Earlier, Ihor Lutsenko, founder of the Aerial Reconnaissance Support Center, announced that Ukraine intends to form an all-female unit to work with unmanned aerial vehicles. The volunteer unit will focus on operating and maintaining UAV systems. Both Ukraine and Russia have been using UAV drones for reconnaissance, surveillance, and targeted attacks since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.

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