68,000 Women Enlisted in the Ukrainian Army in 2024, Some Fighting Alongside Family.
“I Will Protect You With My Own Body If Necessary”
Under a thick layer of snow covering the Donetsk region, Natalia gently adjusts Veronika’s camouflage hood. Mother and daughter, both enlisted in the Ukrainian army. But above all, a mother remains a mother.
Natalia, 53, left her career as a fashion designer to join the army at the very start of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. A few days later, her daughter Veronika, 26, decided to follow in her footsteps.
“At first, as a mother, of course, I was worried,” Natalia admits. But soon, she realized it was better to stay “together.” “No matter what happens, you’ll be near me, under my wing. I will protect you with my own body if necessary. But if you stay behind, I won’t be able to do anything,” she tells her daughter.
“My mom helped me not to be afraid,” Veronika explains with a smile. “Kids try to imitate their parents.”
The two women serve in the 100th Brigade on the eastern front, though in administrative roles, away from the trenches.
More Women in the Ukrainian Army
The Ukrainian army has seen a growing number of female soldiers in recent years. In 2024, 68,000 women were enlisted, according to the Ministry of Defense— a sharp increase compared to previous years. However, joining the military remains a difficult choice, as tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been killed in three years of war. Until 2018, women were even legally prohibited from holding combat positions.
In this male-dominated environment, where some female soldiers report sexism and harassment, Natalia and Veronika— both the ex-wife and daughter of a serviceman— say they feel “pampered” by their fellow soldiers.
When asked if they’ve had any bad experiences, Natalia initially says no— earning a skeptical glance from her daughter. “At the beginning of the war, my mom had an admirer,” Veronika recalls. But the feelings weren’t mutual. “Words weren’t enough to push him away,” so Natalia eventually had to “slap him,” her daughter adds.
Veronika sometimes attracts stares, but “no soldier dares to go further— she has such a strong personality,” Natalia jokes.
Despite the challenges, the two women have built a small family unit on the front. They share an apartment, starting each morning with music and ending each evening with a workout. Whenever a bomb falls, Veronika always calls her mother to make sure she’s okay.
Natalia insists she has no regrets: “My child is here— this is my home. Where else would I go?”
Giving Up “a Peaceful Life”
Another mother-daughter duo, Olga and Maria, serve in the Khartia Brigade. They’re so busy that they only see each other once a week.
Recently, they finally found a moment to spend time together. But after just an hour, their phones rang— they were needed. They had to leave.
Despite the distance, 21-year-old Maria finds comfort in knowing her “mom is close.” She proudly sports a “Girl Power” tattoo on her hip.
She enrolled in an officer training school in 2020 and later encouraged her mother, a trained nurse, to join the army when she was recruited. “If we’re going to serve, let’s do it together,” she told her.
Now stationed in the Kharkiv region, Olga works in a military dental clinic, while Maria is an administrative officer.
Maria’s father, Petro, a retired firefighter, lives away from the front but occasionally visits to share a pizza with them. In 2022, the family fled their hometown, which they say is now occupied by the Russian army.
Petro often says he wants to enlist, but Maria convinces him otherwise: “I tell him, ‘Come on, Dad, you’re 60 years old.’”
She insists that his role back home is just as important: “I need him to take care of the house, send us clothes.” And also to water “Cleopatra,” a plant that means a lot to them, she adds with a laugh.
Looking at her mother, Maria asks if she ever wished she had chosen “a different path” than the military.
“No, no,” Olga replies firmly.
Maria, however, wishes her mother could have had “a peaceful life.”