Russian Army Attempts to Recruit Women in War Against Ukraine

In the Russian social network “VKontakte,” there are Russian army recruitment ads targeting women. 

The ads, run by the private military company Redut – which reports to Russia’s Ministry of Defense – attempt to recruit women to aid in its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Russian newspaper Vazhnyye istorii reported.

Women are offered sniper and UAV operator positions under 6-month contracts for a salary of about 220,000 rubles (~about $2,200 dollars). 

If the prospective mercenaries lack weapons handling skills, they can get a month of military training in occupied Donetsk, the ad says. 

For injuries at the front, they’re eligible to receive 1 to 3 million rubles (~$10,700 to $32,000), and for death – 5 million rubles (~$53,400) to the families of the victims. At the end of the contract, all participants are granted veteran’s status.

Vazhnyye istorii reported that their journalists, under the guise of candidates for the above-described vacancies, called a recruiter with the call sign “Vesta” of the Borz Battalion, which is commanded by Dmitry Zipir, a native of Volnovakha, Ukraine.

Kyiv has linked Zipir to the so-called “Ministry of State Security of the Donetsk People’s Republic” in occupied Donetsk.

“At first we didn't have women, we only had men. Now we decided to try to introduce a female sniper squad and a female UAV squad, because women can to it too. My task as a squad leader is to prove that women are created not only for soups and children,” Vesta said.

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Journalists also found out that two women publicly announced their participation in the battalion — a native of Donetsk, Yulia Sheremet with the call sign “Demon” and a resident of the Urals, Natalia Nikonorova with the call sign “Valkyrie.” 

Sheremet said that she is studying to become a UAV operator and sniper. Nikonorova is a medical instructor. 

Also with them in one of the videos is a masked girl, who, according to the video, hails from Bashkiria.

The publication identified her as 23-year-old Karina Kambarova. She fights in the unit together with her husband, Anton Borisov.

Back in March 2023, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that 1,100 females were taking part in Russia’s war against Ukraine.