Russia is reportedly recruiting female convicts to join its military forces, offering them financial incentives and the promise of freedom in exchange for their service. According to a Ukrainian intelligence spokesperson, the women are being recruited for both auxiliary and combat roles. This development comes as the role of women in the Ukraine war continues to expand.
More than 100,000 convicts from Russian penal colonies have already been conscripted to fight in Ukraine, with many being promised freedom in exchange for their service. However, the fate of these female recruits is often bleak, with many being killed or returning with serious injuries.
The practice of recruiting convicts to fight in Ukraine began under the founder of the mercenary Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has defended the practice, saying that the convicts are "atoning with blood for crimes on the battlefield."
In contrast, Ukraine has been actively working to integrate women into its military forces. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukrainian women have been joining the military in significant numbers, with a 40% increase in female soldiers between 2021 and 2023. As of October 2023, around 43,000 women were serving in military roles, with 5,000 serving on the front lines.
Ukraine's defense ministry has opened up more combat positions to women, allowing them to serve in roles such as infantry and snipers. One Ukrainian female sniper, Evgenya Emerald, spoke to the BBC about her experience, saying, "A war doesn't care whether you are a man or a woman. When a missile hits a house, it doesn't care if there are women, men, children - everyone dies. And it's the same on the front line - if you can be effective and you're a woman, why wouldn't you defend your country, your people?"
The recruitment of female convicts by Russia highlights the desperation of the Russian military, which has suffered significant losses in the war. The UK Ministry of Defence reported in January that Russia was on course to lose 500,000 troops by the end of 2024, after turning its forces into a "low quality, high quantity mass army."
The use of convicts in the war has also raised concerns about human rights and the treatment of prisoners. Russian human rights activist Vladimir Osechkin has spoken out about the practice, saying that many of the convicts recruited by Russia have been killed or returned with serious injuries.
Overall, the role of women in the Ukraine war is complex and multifaceted. While Russia is recruiting female convicts to fight, Ukraine is actively working to integrate women into its military forces and provide them with opportunities to serve in combat roles. The war has highlighted the importance of women's contributions to the military and the need for greater gender equality in the armed forces.
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