While women still make up only a small share of the force, their numbers have risen sharply since before the invasion, and they now serve across nearly every specialty. Some joined<\/a> after their husbands were killed in the war; some enlisted to avenge<\/a> other loved ones lost to the invading army.\u00a0<\/p>\n That shift has begun to take institutional form on the battlefield. Ukraine\u2019s National Guard recently deployed<\/a> its first all-female FPV drone strike crew, a unit operating entirely without men. The team drives its own vehicles, assembles its own munitions and conducts live attack missions along the front. Commanders said the unit emerged after it emerged that some female operators performed better when freed from constant scrutiny in mixed-gender teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ukraine\u2019s Unmanned Systems Forces have also fielded<\/a> all-female strike units, including the \u201cHarpies,\u201d which recently received a customized Vampire bomber drone developed specifically for women operators.<\/p>\n Didenko is part of that shift, one that is increasingly visible at the front. She joined the army in 2024 after two years of volunteering and self-reproach. \u201cFor two years I blamed myself for doing too little,\u201d she said. \u201cI knew I could do more. Becoming part of the armed forces felt like a second wind.\u201d<\/p>\n Her path to the front began well before she put on a uniform. As a teenager, she was drawn to military history, tactics, and training. While still in school, she helped found a civic organization in her hometown of Bila Tserkva that focused on patriotic education for young people.\u00a0<\/p>\n Everything changed on February 24, 2022. That morning, the organization\u2019s leaders were mobilized almost immediately. They asked Didenko, then 17, to take over. \u201cSo. at 17, I became the head of a civic organization,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Under her leadership, the group raised money for the military, organized training sessions, ran first-aid courses and supported units at the front. Today, nearly all of its members are serving in the armed forces. Some were wounded and discharged and now train younger recruits.<\/p>\n \u201cMy convictions, my principles, and my love for Ukraine left me no other choice,\u201d she said. \u201cI should have mobilized earlier than 2024.\u201d Didenko now serves as a reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operator. Her job is to prepare the drone and equipment, study routes, plan missions, guide the aircraft into reconnaissance zones, complete the task,and bring the drone back safely.<\/p>\n It is technical work, but also risky. And for women, she said, it comes with additional challenges. \u201cArmor and clothing don\u2019t take female anatomy into account,\u201d she said. \u201cHonestly, they don\u2019t really take male anatomy into account, either.\u201d<\/p>\n She bought most of her gear herself or relied on female volunteers who specialize in equipping women soldiers. \u201cI am incredibly grateful to them,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s important that women support one another.\u201d<\/p>\n Ukrainian servicewomen were previously issued uniforms and body armor designed<\/a> for men, a mismatch that many said affected mobility and safety. Ukraine\u2019s military plans to begin issuing<\/a> female-specific body armor this year, following the approval of interim anatomical padding and women\u2019s underwear, as part of efforts to adapt standard equipment to female soldiers while maintaining protection standards.<\/p>\n Until recently, Didenko was the youngest in her unit. Her fellow soldiers adapted quickly, she said, becoming \u201clike older brothers.\u201d Younger servicemen tended to accept her more easily. Older ones sometimes saw her as a daughter.<\/p>\n \u201cIn those cases, you have to prove that you\u2019re the same combat unit as they are,\u201d she said. She said sexism exists, but it is not the norm. \u201cIt depends on individual people,\u201d she said. \u201cThe most important thing is not to be afraid to stand up for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n Didenko does not talk about promotions or military careers. She says she has no interest in climbing the ranks. \u201cI just want to do my job well and be useful,\u201d she said. Her motivation, she added, is deeply personal. \u201cIt\u2019s revenge for friends and loved ones taken by the Russians,\u201d she said. \u201cRevenge for stolen time, opportunities and dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n She is far from alone. Many women have recently joined her regiment, she said, and nearly all of her friends are now either on combat missions or undergoing training. \u201cI am incredibly proud of women in the military,\u201d she said. \u201cThey are my inspiration and my support.\u201d<\/p>\n For her, the reason women volunteer is simple: \u201cTo protect loved ones, to be involved. To fight for the chance to live in a free country and to build our future.\u201d She rejects the idea that women are unsuited for combat or technical roles. \u201cWomen are the same combat units as men,\u201d she said. \u201cYes, physical work is harder for us. But we train, we learn and we work.\u201d<\/p>\n Every day, she said, women prove they belong. \u201cAnd every day,\u201d she added, \u201cthere are more of us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Yuliia Didenko did not grow up planning a military career. But after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":762913,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[7654],"tags":[41516,65265,2000,299,657,223894,1292],"class_list":["post-762912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ukraine","tag-block-2","tag-drone-warfare","tag-eu","tag-europe","tag-ukraine","tag-ukraine-military","tag-women"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116066251408300819","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/762912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=762912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/762912\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/762913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=762912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=762912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=762912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_1584-e1771011538258.jpg\")
Soldiers from Ukraine\u2019s 413th Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Force monitor a drone feed. Photo: Yuliia Didenko<\/p>\n