According to the partisan movement Atesh, the Russian command is forming assault troops composed of women to compensate for the heavy losses suffered near Pokrovsk, the Donetsk region, reports Kyiv Post.
According to Atesh agents infiltrated into the Russian forces, the command of the 506th Motorized Rifle Regiment began to recruit women into the assault units due to heavy personnel losses. “This shows that the occupiers have exhausted their reserve of mercenaries and contract soldiers and are ready to sacrifice anyone, turning women into cannon fodder,” the report published on Telegram states. In addition, Atesh adds that, besides assault roles, women are used for infiltration missions. If an assault fails, they are ordered to change into civilian clothes and carry out reconnaissance, posing as locals.
“Our sources confirm that there is no way back for these women. Their lives depend solely on the ‘mercy’ of their commanders, which can be won in only one way. The Russian army has completely lost its moral compass,” the report continues. The General Staff of Ukraine reported 120 armed clashes in the last 24 hours, Russia being most active near the city of Pokrovsk, where Ukrainian forces repelled 39 attacks near 13 settlements.
Recently, a Russian sabotage group infiltrated the center of Pokrovsk, killing several civilians before being eliminated by Ukrainian troops at a station. Despite continuous bombings, civilians remain in the city, local officials have stated. The separate mechanized brigade No. 110 published on Monday, October 20, a video showing the elimination of two Russian women sent to attack Ukrainian positions. The cited source could not independently verify the authenticity of the images.
“The Russians throw women into the storm. Brigade 110, together with our comrades from the 154th Motorized Rifle Brigade, identified and eliminated two occupiers,” the post states. Similar incidents were reported in July and August, when Russian women were seen attacking positions near Pokrovsk and Ceasiv Iar. Since the end of May 2024, Russia has released a group of women from prisons to participate in hostilities in Ukraine, The New York Times (NYT) reported in June 2024, citing former prisoners who remain in contact with those still incarcerated. According to their accounts, recruiters took several women from a prison near the city of Saint Petersburg.
However, it was not clear whether their release was an isolated incident, a pilot program, or the beginning of a broader recruitment campaign. The report mentioned that recruiters began visiting women’s prisons in the European part of Russia in the fall of 2023, offering prisoners one-year contracts to serve as snipers, medics, and radio operators on the front line. The NYT reported that only about 40 of the 400 prisoners of the colony agreed at the time.
They were promised a pardon and a salary of about $2,000 per month – about ten times more than the minimum wage in Russia. Former prisoners said that many women chose to go to the front partly because of the harsh and inhumane conditions in Russian prisons.