Vladimir Putin has stepped up efforts to recruit women into the war against Ukraine, as Kyiv’s summer drone offensive piles unprecedented pressure on the Kremlin.
Women can sign military contracts in any Russian region after a Spring rule change, with recruiters advertising positions on Telegram channels, according to Polish investigative publication Vot Tak.
Requirements are largely the same as those for men: Russian citizenship, ages roughly 18 to 45, at least a secondary education, a passing health category, and no criminal record—though those with expunged records are sometimes accepted.
Most postings exclude pregnant women or those with young children, though some don’t specify family status at all. Pay, benefits, and contract terms mirror those offered to male recruits, and contracts with the Ministry of Defense are automatically extended until the war ends.
Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet working with the BBC, has confirmed almost 240,000 Russian deaths since Putin’s “special military operation” started in February 2022. These are confirmed deaths, but the total is likely much higher.
Regional authorities have layered on additional tactics beyond straightforward advertising. Since late 2025, female college and university students have been encouraged to enlist in cities including St. Petersburg, Samara, Krasnoyarsk, Novokuznetsk, Yaroslavl and the Ulyanovsk region, with one closed recruitment meeting held for women only at a technical college in Krasnoyarsk.
Officials in Tomsk advertised for female drone operators for “facility security” in May, while a district in Perm Krai sought “drone operators and drivers for humanitarian aid” the following month.
Russian women have increasingly reported unsolicited outreach. A resident of Kaliningrad named Nadezhda said she received a call offering a $35,000 contract immediately after enrolling her child in kindergarten; she declined, and recruiters never called again.
Another woman, the mother of a seven-year-old, recalled her reaction to a similar pitch: “As soon as they told me, ‘Would you like to sign a contract to defend the motherland? We’re calling and offering it to girls, too,’ I said, ‘Are you f---ing nuts?’”
Mediazona reported that even a pregnant woman received a military summons.
Demand for slots appears high despite the reluctance some women express. A journalist posing as a prospective recruit in Krasnoyarsk was told one campaign had already closed after just a month but could “resume at any moment.”
A short-lived recruitment drive in the Tomsk region lasted only ten days before filling up. The Telegram channel Contract Service sought female medical specialists in August 2025, paused for months, then reopened in June with an expanded list of roles spanning drone operations, communications, logistics and supply, only to close again within two weeks, citing overwhelming applicant volume.
Russia has also formed an all-female drone unit, nicknamed “Night Witches 2.0.” One volunteer, Elizaveta Tsybina, described deep unease about the commitment. “I’m not risking [serving] until the end of the Second Military District. If I had a choice, I would choose not to start this path,” she said, adding that disillusionment with the armed forces is shared by “the majority” of personnel, even if few say so openly.
Women have long served in largely administrative roles in the Russian military, but the invasion has pulled growing numbers into direct combat, including as snipers, machine gunners and drone operators. A 19-year-old medical instructor named Sofia, who signed her contract in 2023, said the reality has fallen short of her expectations. “I’m disillusioned with the current army and want to retire as soon as possible,” she said.
The recruitment push comes as Ukraine’s drone campaign batters Russia’s economic backbone. Long lines have formed at gas stations nationwide amid fuel shortages, while Kyiv has repeatedly struck e-commerce giants including Wildberries and Ozon, the latter hit four times on Monday alone, bringing the total number of strikes against the retailer to six since Saturday.
