More and more women are fighting in the Ukrainian army, and a female drone unit has even been created at the front. ARD meets Daria, Oleksandra and other Ukrainian women in the army:
Olexandra studied art in Switzerland, Daria worked in marketing, Khvilya was a graphic designer and Tanya dreamed of a career in television. Today, the four women are flying drones that attack Russian logistics and military command, ARD writes in a report from the front.
More and more Ukrainian women are voluntarily joining the army - a female drone control unit has even been created, which is putting Russian logistics under increased pressure.
To disrupt Russian supply chains
The women are part of the first all-female drone control unit in the National Guard of Ukraine. They strike Russian vehicles, supply routes and command posts at a distance of up to 300 kilometers. The aim of these attacks is to hinder Russian supply and increase pressure on Russian troops.
The women assemble drones, check the electronics, install the catapult, test the radio connection - they train their precision, striving to quickly direct the drones to the set target. Speed is of great importance - the less time it takes to assemble the equipment in an open area, the lower the risk of being spotted and attacked by Russian drone pilots, explains ARD correspondent Susanne Petersson.
War of technologies
But it is not only speed during an operation that is important. War has become a merciless battle of technologies. Radio frequencies and ranges are constantly changing. Signal jamming technologies are becoming more powerful. Software must adapt, antennas must be changed, and flight routes must be replanned. "What works today may be useless tomorrow", explains Commander Daria.
For each mission, intelligence officers, engineers and several drone control teams work together. The overall success depends on the work of dozens of people.
More and more women in the army
Combat service and life at the front have long been considered a man's job in Ukraine. It was only in 2018 that women were allowed to participate in combat missions in the armed forces. Oleksandra and the rest of the squad are well aware of the old prejudice that women have no place in the army, because they have heard it firsthand. But times have changed. Recently, they have been receiving more and more approval and recognition. "During combat, gender is not important, but whether you can rely on the other person. You just have to be sure that you won't be abandoned under fire," says Oleksandra.
More than four years after the start of the Russian aggression, Ukraine is increasingly facing personnel problems. Very few men are now signing up for military service. And many of them have been fighting for years. At the same time, however, the number of female soldiers is growing. According to Ukrainian data, more than 75,000 women are currently serving in the armed forces - almost double the number in 2022.
They want to help end the war sooner
The high-tech drone war in particular offers tasks in which physical strength plays a smaller role than technical knowledge, precision and concentration. "At first, I was a sniper," says commander Daria. But the heavy weapons created difficulties for her. That's why she started working with drones and believes that this is the area in which she can fight most effectively. She voluntarily joined the army and plans to stay in its ranks until the very end of the war: "I want to fight until it is possible to return to my hometown of Nova Kakhovka, which is now under Russian occupation, and until I can visit my grandmother's grave there," she tells ARD.
The women are currently avoiding making plans for the period after the end of the war. Ordinary life and their former friends are a thing of the past. And the current one is entirely marked by drawing drone routes and issuing attack orders. But also by the hope that each of their drones can bring the war at least a little closer to its end, ARD summarizes.