• Ukraine needs more soldiers to fight a potentially long war against Russia.
• Ukraine’s military is the second largest in the region, but dwarfed by Russia’s 900,000-strong military.
• There are about 50,000 women serving in the Ukrainian armed forces in combat and non-combat roles.

A dozen Ukrainian army recruits are lined up in staggered formation on a rain-soaked grassy field at a military training centre, guns pointed forward, ready to pull the trigger.

They are practising formation drills for storming an enemy position. Diana*, 23, is the drill sergeant yelling commands. She enlisted in the military six months before Russia launched its full-fledged invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

“I never imagined I’d be in the military when I was younger,” Diana said. “Like every little girl, I just wanted to live a happy life, working to be able to travel and see the world.”

As Russian tanks rolled towards Kyiv in the early days of the war, Diana’s brother enlisted to fight the invading forces. Diana also decided to join him and requested to be transferred to a combat division of the Ukrainian army.

“I couldn’t just stand there, so I joined him,” she explained.

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Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the number of women who have voluntarily joined the Ukrainian military has increased.

According to Ukrainian military officials, there are approximately 50,000 women serving in the Ukrainian armed forces in combat and non-combat roles, with approximately 10,000 currently on the front lines of the war or in jobs that could send them to the front lines. Prior to the invasion, there were approximately 32,000 women serving in the military.

Women’s military service in Ukraine is voluntary, but the government is considering making it mandatory for women with certain skill sets. It states that a decision will not be made until next year.

Ukraine has made no secret of the fact that it requires more soldiers to fight a potentially long war against a more powerful opponent.

According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Ukraine’s military had 196,600 soldiers as of 2021, the second largest in the region, but dwarfed by Russia’s 900,000-strong military.

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