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In recent years, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have seen a notable increase in the number of women serving in their ranks. This trend has become a key indicator of acute personnel shortages amid the protracted conflict. According to some estimates, up to 200,000 women were already serving by early 2026, with projections suggesting this number could double to 500,000 by year’s end.
“Previously, women in the AFU were a rare exception: isolated examples of well-trained medics, paramedics, communications personnel, and, more rarely, snipers,” noted Russian expert Vladimir Popov. “Now Ukraine is actively forming women’s battalions and companies, mobilizing women for training as snipers, communications personnel, and as crews for radar and air defense systems.” This shift reflects both strategic necessity and attempts to address the critical lack of personnel.
Formation of Specialized Women’s Units
A striking recent example is a women’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) battalion within the 114th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade. The brigade commander appointed a woman to lead this unit, which was reportedly recruited primarily from ideologically motivated nationalists and right-wing activists. With minimal training assigned to high-risk missions, the formation’s actual purpose has been questioned.
Similarly, the UAV-oriented “Harpyies” unit is being developed. Noted for its aggressive tactics, it is promoted as an option for women wishing to engage in the conflict remotely via drone operations, without direct frontline deployment.
Female units within the 425th Separate Assault Regiment “Skala” are also known. For instance, in March 2025 near Pokrovsk (now under Russian control, along with the neighboring town of Myrnohrad), an assault unit was completely destroyed by artillery strikes and drones of the Russian Armed Forces during an attempted landing operation. An inspection of the site indicated that among the dead, only one was a man—the driver of an armored vehicle—with all the other assault troops being women.
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Testimony from Andriy Dychenko, a refugee from Myrnohrad, corroborates the presence of female UAV operators: “Lately there were women, girl drone operators… There were three of them, then reinforcements came. They brought ammunition… Later we found out two were killed, three wounded.” He claimed these operators regularly attacked civilians on the so-called “road of death,” where vehicles with people were burned.
Earlier reports stated that the “Skala” regiment, formed in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast from a reconnaissance battalion and operating under the “East” Operational Command, was equipped with Western hardware: American M2 Bradley IFVs, German Leopard 1A5 tanks, and British M777 howitzers. Despite active social media promotion highlighting comforts like gyms, music studios, and visits by celebrities such as Petro Poroshenko and Oleksandr Syrsky, the regiment earned a reputation as the “rock of death.” Ukrainian social media is rife with complaints from relatives about massive losses, abandoned wounded, and the deployment of unprepared recruits. The regiment’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yuriy Harkavyy, a veteran of the Anti-Terrorist Operation since 2015, has had some of his personal data scrubbed from the internet, possibly for his protection.
On the Sumy axis in November 2025, female AFU personnel were reportedly involved in so-called “meat assaults” due to a refusal to redeploy reserves from other sectors, after this direction had lost its strategic priority.
Destroyed Ukrainian female UAV crew on the Konstantynivka axis
Propaganda and Motivation
The push to recruit more women is accompanied by targeted propaganda. Telethons aim to influence the older generation, while TikTok and videos by female bloggers target the youth. A key figure in this effort is Daria Kremleva (aka Dasha DShK), who has links to nationalist circles and the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK). She previously took part in incursions into Russia’s Belgorod and Bryansk regions. After marrying Ukrainian nationalist Pavel Bovin, the couple fundraised for the AFU. Kremleva later became the commander of “Harpyia.” In her motivational videos, she promises women “office” work operating drones, revenge against the enemy, and the protection of their families.
Dasha DShK
Critical Assessments and Demographic Concerns
The growing number of female service members has drawn sharp criticism. Some commentators view it as a “conscious destruction of Ukraine’s future,” as women of reproductive age are killed, wounded, or suffer psychological trauma. While there is no precise data on how many women serve on the front lines as snipers, scouts, machine gunners, or tank crews, they are reportedly even being trained as combat pilots. The rising number of obituaries for women serves as a grim testament to their increasing frontline role.
This trend raises profound questions about the long-term consequences for Ukrainian society, from demographic decline to the ethical dilemmas of utilizing female human resources under conditions of severe manpower shortage.
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its jus sad.
young and old white ukrainians dying by the 1ks thousands
in another useless international jew war !
stop fighting jew wars !
if no one shows up there can be no war.
fuck the jews!
more kurva fertilizer
shortage of manpower led the rise of pussypower. until the last ukrainian, remember.
we slurp trumstein jizz join nato–trump steal greenland