British MoD reveal: Russians are recruiting women for frontline roles in Ukraine
The British Ministry of Defense has confirmed that Redut, a Russian private military company backed by the Putin government, is actively recruiting women for combat missions in Ukraine. Advertisements encouraging women to join Redut's ranks have surfaced online.
Oct 30, 2023 | updated: 12:51 PM EDT, October 31, 2023
Recent social media advertisements have been urging women to join the Borz battalion, a unit under Redut's command. According to "Ukrainian Truth", which cites Russian media, the women will serve as snipers and unmanned aircraft operators.
British analysts believe that Redut is likely funded by Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate. In March 2023, Sergey Shoigu, the Russian Minister of National Defense, reported that over a thousand women are currently involved in the Ukrainian conflict. However, this figure represents only about 0.3 percent of all Russian forces participating in the war in Ukraine.
The extent to which the regular Russian army will follow this precedent, allowing women to take on significant combat roles, remains unclear. Although Russian women seldom participate in modern battles, they have a historical precedent of combat participation. During World War II, for instance, a strong tradition of female snipers emerged in the Red Army. Among these was Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who was credited with killing 309 enemies, including 36 sharpshooters.
Meduza, an opposition website, reported that women enlisted through Redut can anticipate a monthly salary of around 240,000 rubles (approximately $3223).
