Over 76,000 women serve in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including 57,000 in military positions, writes Kyiv Independent, citing the General Staff of the army. Military service for women is voluntary in Ukraine. However, women aged between 18 and 60, with medical or pharmaceutical studies, are required to register in the army from October 2023. As a result, they can be called into military service if they meet conditions deemed relevant.
In September 2026, over 20,000 of the 57,000 women with military roles in the Ukrainian army were in combat positions, according to the cited source.
“When we talk about combat, we should not reduce the role of women in war to their mere presence in the trenches. Modern warfare encompasses a very wide range of military professions. These include drone pilots, reconnaissance specialists, doctors, signalers, artillerymen, military psychologists, electronic warfare specialists, and many others,” noted Oksana Grigorieva, military advisor.
Ukraine has four women with the rank of general
By the year 2026, four women from Ukraine held the rank of general, mentions Kyiv Independent.
Tetiana Ostașcenko held the position of commander of the Medical Forces in the Ukrainian army from 2021 to 2023. She became the first woman to receive the rank of brigadier general and the first woman to lead the military medical service of the Armed Forces. Ostașcenko was promoted to the rank of general by presidential decree on August 24, 2021, before the onset of Russia’s large-scale invasion.
Two other women, Iulia Laputina and Liudmila Șuhalei, were granted the rank of Major General while serving in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in 2018 and, respectively, 2020. Additionally, Tetiana Podașevska was awarded the rank of General for her services in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
“It is important for a woman in the military today to have the opportunity to go through the entire professional path, from soldier to the highest officer ranks. This is a fundamental change compared to the past,” emphasized the adviser quoted by Kyiv Independent.
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