Delivery time2023-11-09 10:33
‘Desulting measures’ following a 20-month war of attrition… Military training groups for women are also active.
Ukrainian female soldiers in training
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(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jo Seong-heum = Ukraine, which has been waging war against Russia for over 20 months, is pursuing measures to mobilize more women to solve the problem of troop shortages.
According to the American daily New York Times (NYT) on the 8th (local time), after Russia’s invasion, Ukraine gradually abolished various restrictions on women’s enlistment age and positions.
Women were also allowed to take on roles such as tank soldiers, machine gunners, snipers, and truck drivers, and the upper age limit for enlistment for women was also raised from 40 to 60, the same as for men.
Additionally, although women are not subject to mandatory conscription, a law went into effect last month requiring women with medical training to register as conscripts.
In the early days of the all-out war with Russia, women often participated in battles as paramilitary members, but now the ways in which they can serve in the regular army have greatly expanded.
Accordingly, the number of women currently serving in the military has reached 43,000, an increase of approximately 40% compared to 2021 before the Russian invasion. In addition, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense explained that some of them are participating in actual combat on the southeastern front.
This move is interpreted as a ‘hard-core measure’ as the war that started on February 24th of last year continued for over 20 months and recent fierce trench warfare resulted in severe troop losses.
Although the West, including the United States, continues to provide advanced weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, the troops to operate them must be mobilized only from within Ukraine.
Moreover, Ukraine’s population of about 37 million is less than a third of Russia’s population of over 140 million.
Since last August, Ukrainian men have been classified as conscripts even if they suffer from asymptomatic tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or hepatitis.
As women’s military service expanded, volunteer organizations providing military training for women also became active.
“Women can fight on equal footing with men while maintaining their femininity,” said Dyarya Trebuk, founder of the Ukrainian Valkyrie, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that supports training for women. “The gender of the fighter does not matter.” “he said.
Ukrainian female soldiers in training
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“Nobody wants to fight in the trenches, that’s natural,” said Ola Bachmatova, 46, who participated in the training. “But who else will do it if not me? Now I understand.”
In particular, women are being recognized for their potential as drone pilots, whose importance has grown during this war. This is thanks to the assessment that physical differences between men and women do not affect drone control.
Valery Borovik, founder of the Philotesi Group, which trains female drone pilots, said, “Any woman who can fly a drone will be able to guide artillery fire with a drone, if necessary, even tomorrow.”
Borovik said fashion show organizers helped recruit female drone pilots, with models and actors among the first batch of students. She added that about a third of them actually joined the military.
Alina Budnyova (24), who graduated from medical school last year and must register as a conscript, said of the drone pilot training, “I wanted to acquire skills that I could use on the front line because I could be called up to the military.”
josh@yna.co.kr
Report via KakaoTalk okjebo
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2023/11/09 10:33 Sent
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2023-11-09 01:33:12
