Ukrainian women take up arms and join men in the war effort against Russia
When Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began nearly one month ago, the country’s State Border Guard Service announced that all men ages 18 to 60 were banned from leaving Ukraine and must serve in the war effort. Heartbreaking images showed fathers saying goodbye to their families and sending their loved ones off to safety in neighboring countries - while they stayed to fight Russian forces from taking their home.
According to the U.N., more than 3.5 million people have made perilous journeys and fled Ukraine with over 2 million having crossed the border into Poland. And while the majority of that number is made up of women and children, there have been reports of women who have stayed behind to join their fellow Ukrainians.
More than 15% of Ukraine’s army is made up of women, a recent survey conducted by the country’s ministry of foreign affairs showed. And since the invasion began on Feb. 24, more women have taken up armed resistance against Kremlin-led forces. Women who are not official members of the Ukrainian army have been taking crash courses in battlefield medicine and how to use guns.
One woman defending Kyiv is 29-year-old Daria Vasylchenko, who has been responsible for maintaining security in a neighborhood north of the capital. Speaking to the Washington Post, Vasylchenko, who worked in public relations before the war, described how at times when men are waiting to enlist in the forces questions why she is in the army. “They say something like, ‘Lady, why are you doing this when we are here for that?’” she said. “I just smile and say that everyone has their own job and everything will be fine.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ukrainian-women-take-up-arms-and-join-men-in-the-war-effort-against-russia/ar-AAVmBIF