Sunday, June 21, 2026 9:00:59 AM

Out of every 100 new recruits recently joining the Armed Forces of Ukraine, about 10 to 12 are women.

The demand from women to serve in the military is increasing, according to Ihor Shvaika, deputy head of the 4th Recruitment Center of the Territorial Defense Forces, who spoke on air with “Ranok. LIVE.”

“They’re coming to take on different roles, including serving in the infantry,” Shvaika noted.

He explained that the military is now enlisting more women who provide assistance in areas such as social and military psychology, serve in headquarters, logistics, human resources, and other fields.

“There are women who come and say: Yes, we want to serve in main units. This is a solid representation of the level of the Ukrainian Amazon-a woman who is a defender, who wants to join key frontline units,” Shvaika emphasized.

Back in March, dozens of civilian women in Ukraine, many with no connection to medicine or the military, unexpectedly found themselves wanted by territorial recruitment centers after their names appeared in a government search database.

The cause, officials said, was an error in the “Obereg” database, and since May 1, there have been no new changes regarding the mobilization of women. https://focus.ua/voennye-novosti/748787-rozysk-tck-v-ukraine-bolee-30-zhenshchin-razyskivayutsya-kak-uklonistki

Ukrainian law stipulates that women with medical or pharmaceutical backgrounds who are deemed fit for military service by health and age must register for military service.

Those with related specialties can opt in voluntarily by applying through procedures set by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.

Women without a military specialty can only register on a voluntary basis if they choose.

Even during martial law, a woman who is officially listed for military service can’t be mobilized without her consent. This is explicitly stated in Article 1, Clause 12 of Ukraine’s Law on Military Duty and Military Service.

Recently, a Ukrainian woman named Iryna-who is the mother of an eight-month-old child-was mistakenly registered for military service in Varash district in the Rivne region, despite holding a residence permit in Kyiv and having never been there.

(c)UAWIRE 2026