Ukrainian women embrace combat roles as technology reshapes the battlefield

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — When Russia’s full-scale invasion began nearly four years ago, a 26-year-old soldier known as Monka didn’t see a combat role she could play. But that has changed as technology has reshaped the battlefield and opened new avenues.

Last year, she joined the military as a short-range, first-person view, or FPV, drone pilot, after giving up her job as a restaurant manager overseas and returning home to Ukraine to serve.

Her change is part of a broader trend of more women joining Ukraine’s military in combat roles, a shift made possible by the technological transformation of modern warfare, military officials say.

“The fact that technology allows us to deliver munitions without carrying them in our hands or transporting them to the front line is incredible,” said Monka, who serves in the Third Army Corps’ Unmanned Systems Battalion. She and other women followed Ukrainian military protocol by identifying themselves only using their call signs.

More than 70,000 women served in the Ukrainian army in 2025, an increase of 20% from 2022, including more than 5,500 deployed directly to the front line, according to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

Some units have tailored their recruitment efforts to women, expanding their numbers, a sign that Ukraine is seeking to strengthen and expand its military even as peace negotiations consider a possible cap on the future size of the army.

Leaders in the capital kyiv, as well as many soldiers like Monka, view the army as one of the few security guarantees Ukraine has against Russia.

“We need everyone: engineers, pilots, computer scientists, programmers, we just need brains. It’s not about men or women. We need people who are willing to work hard,” she said.

More women seek combat jobs as technology advances

Drone pilot is one of the most popular combat professions in the Ukrainian army, chosen by women, military officials said.

When Imla, of Kraken Unit 1654, left her career as a professional hockey player to join the military, the 27-year-old initially planned to become a combat paramedic.

She spent her first six months as a platoon medic, but the job required learning to fly drones. She started with small models before moving on to larger bomb-carrying models and eventually devoting herself to drone work full-time.

Imla vividly remembers her first drone flight, a reconnaissance mission. When they handed her the controller, she was so nervous her hands couldn’t stop shaking.

“To be honest, I even wanted to cry at times,” she recalls. “But then, over time, you gain work experience and start to feel confident.”

The Khartiia Corps has welcomed more women into its ranks, reporting a 20 percent increase since 2024. About six months ago, the brigade launched a recruitment campaign targeting women for combat and technological roles in cooperation with the Dignitas Foundation, a charitable organization that supports Ukraine by funding technological innovation and civic development projects.

“In recent months, dozens of women have joined us in combat roles and are working successfully,” said Volodymyr Dehtyarov, head of public affairs for the Khartiia corps. “The more technology we have, such as drones, the more historically male professions open up.”

Khartiia has begun training officers and future commanders on how to work with mixed units including people of different ages, genders and backgrounds, which Dehtyarov said helps commanders become more effective leaders.

Women still face obstacles

The Ukrainian army remains fundamentally conservative and some units do not make it easier for women.

A 25-year-old soldier with the call sign Yaha joined the army in 2023 and initially completed paperwork as an army employee. Three months later, she started asking to take drone courses. The commanders at the time did not respond enthusiastically and instead suggested he replace the cook.

“It was unpleasant for me, because I didn’t expect such uncomfortable conditions, such strict limitations,” Yaha said.

In the kitchen, she spent her free time studying drone manuals, training on a simulator, and practicing in computer clubs with a controller she bought herself.

“I liked that you could hit the enemy from a distance,” she said. “So I thought this is our future.”

Eventually, she became a drone bomber pilot in the 9th Brigade.

“War is not cool or glamorous. It is pain, suffering and loss. You just do it because you want to change the situation,” she said. “But you’re not invincible. You’re just another person.”

Chibi, a 20-year-old FPV technician from the Khartiia Brigade, prepares drones for the battlefield from a dark, damp basement near the front line in eastern Ukraine.

She initially faced prejudice from soldiers who claimed she had inferior technical skills because she was a woman. But she also had a male colleague who helped her take her first steps toward becoming an FPV technician, which she finds more interesting than being a pilot.

“There need to be more women in the military,” Chibi said, her hair dyed pink and dark blue. “The more women there are, the better the attitude towards them will be.”

The army needs more women

Olha Meloshyna, spokesperson for the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine, says the belief that the role of drones is safer is false, as the Russians are actively hunting drone operators.

Their unit is seeing more women move into technology positions, including drone operation and repair and electronic warfare, as drones have become one of the primary strike and reconnaissance tools on the battlefield.

According to Meloshyna, 4.2 percent of the unmanned systems force is female, a figure she considers important because women enlist voluntarily.

“We are part of the new Ukrainian army that was formed during the invasion. So in terms of gender acceptance in the armed forces, we have never had a division – what matters to us is desire and motivation,” she said.

She said they were now running a more media-focused recruitment campaign, inviting and planning to recruit 15,000 people, including women. Recruiters say women are applying for both combat and non-combat positions.

“Unmanned systems forces are a system made up of people, men and women,” Meloshyna said. “No drone is autonomous. It needs human intervention. And the more personnel we have, the more drones will fly to Russia.”