Over 67,000 women serve in Ukraine's Armed Forces

Deputy Minister of Defense Natalia Kalmykova stated during Small Talk on June 9.

"We currently have over 67,000 women in the Armed Forces, with 19,000 as civilian employees, and the rest are military personnel," the official said.

According to her, the number of women in the Armed Forces began to increase intensively in 2014; four years later, after the amendments to the legislation, women were granted the right to hold any position in the Ukrainian army.

Despite significant growth in Armed Forces numbers since the onset of full-scale war, Kalmykova clarified that mobilization in Ukraine does not enforce compulsory enlistment of women. Nevertheless, the number of women in the army continues to rise steadily.

The deputy defense minister emphasized Ukrainian women's desire to serve, operate artillery, shoot, and control drones, among other tasks.

However, she acknowledged a lingering issue regarding the promotion of women within the military. Efforts are underway to address this, ensuring that women seeking to build careers in the Armed Forces have equal opportunities.

• As of January 2024, 45,587 women served in the Ukrainian army, marking an increase of over 2,000 women compared to October 2023.