'We won't win this war without women'

"The Ukrainian soldiers sat huddled in their dark dugout, all focus and nerve - Viktoriia's eyes shifting frantically between two screens, Tetiana's hands clutching a drone controller. In the fields beyond, a Russian howitzer was firing shells at Ukrainian positions. The women steered their explosive-packed drone toward it and dived. Their screens blurred. The room went quiet. Then came the voice of their commander, Daria, from the trench outside: "There was a hit!""

"Nearly four years into Russia's invasion, women here are increasingly taking on combat roles once reserved for men. Ukraine's struggle to source personnel has forced its military to change. By early this year, more than 70,000 women had enlisted in Ukraine's military - up 20 percent since 2022. Around 5,500 of those currently serve in combat roles. But Daria's crew is the first in Ukraine's national guard to operate entirely without men."

Women in Ukraine have moved into frontline combat roles previously restricted to men. Reforms since 2016 and further changes in 2022 removed barriers to officer and combat positions. By early this year, over 70,000 women had enlisted and about 5,500 served in combat roles. One national guard unit now operates entirely without men, with a five-woman crew driving their vehicle, carrying equipment, building explosives and launching armed drones along the southeastern front. Many women trained as snipers, medics or volunteers transitioned into combat duties after the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Read at The Washington Post