Daniel Wolfram
As male Russian soldiers get killed at an alarming high rate, the military is now turning to its female counterparts for help. Some of these women are now trying to get out of the war they were coerced into.
Russia has had to think outside the box as its invasion of Ukraine drags on with no end in sight.
This summer, Russia is relying on its allies, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has gathered intel that up to 30,000–50,000 North Korean soldiers could enter the war sometime this year.
The country is also beginning to ramp up recruitment of its women to send into the meat grinder.
Russian women enter the front line
Russian authorities are increasingly turning to women to sustain their war effort in Ukraine. An investigation by the Polish news outlet Vot Tak shows that female recruits are starting to actively enter the war.
Female recruits are now being deployed to operate drones, fire sniper rifles, and join direct infantry assaults. These women are being promised something entirely different from the reality upon arrival.
“They present it all beautifully and patriotically,” said Yelizaveta Tsybina, a 24-year-old drone operator. “But when you arrive, the situation, the way you are treated and the work itself are completely different.”
Trapped on the battlefield
Tsybina joined after her boyfriend died in combat. She quickly learned that the grim realities of what is really going on in this war are completely different from what they are being told back home. Yet, returning home proved difficult.
“It draws you in. Unfortunately, I can’t get out of it anymore,” Tsybina told Vot Tak .
Many recruits discover that Defense Ministry agreements automatically extend until the war ends. Leaving is nearly impossible. Recruiters have also targeted female university students and prison inmates with false promises of early release or short contracts.
“I am disappointed in today’s army and want to leave as soon as possible,” said Sofya, a 22-year-old medic who signed a contract at 19. “At 22, I have no desire to die because of politicians’ wars.”
Rising death toll
The shift toward active combat has brought fatal consequences for women in Russia. During Vot Tak’s investigation, the news organization identified that at least 50 female service members have been killed since February 2022.
The annual death toll has climbed steadily. Only five female service members died in 2022, but that number rose to 15 in 2025. In the first half of 2026 alone, 12 more lost their lives.
The youngest female casualty of the war, 23-year-old Yana Koshkina, was killed in a drone strike during an evacuation.
In early 2022, around 40,000 women served as active members in Russia’s military. Most worked in medical or administrative roles. But as losses mounted, the Russian military began sending women directly into dangerous combat zones.
