By Maya Mehrara
News Reporter
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Ukrainian women living abroad have applied to join a foreign legion in Poland and have been recruited for the first time to aid its war effort against Russia, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported.
Newsweek contacted the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland for comment via email.
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Why It Matters
As its war with Russia has escalated in the past few months, Ukraine is facing troop shortages and has been advised to make changes to solve this issue.
Ukrainian women joining the legion in Poland for the first time indicates that women's roles and participation in the war, both internally and abroad, are shifting as the conflict progresses.
What To Know
On Friday, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense reported that about 1,300 Ukrainian citizens living in Poland, Denmark, Czechia, Germany, Lithuania and other European countries had applied to join the Ukrainian Legion.
For the first time, women were among those who signed contracts at the Consulate General of Ukraine in Lublin, Poland. The female recruits have chosen to work in specialties related to medicine and communications.
This is the second group of volunteers to sign contracts and begin training with the Ukrainian Legion in Poland. The first group of Ukrainian Legion service members has completed one stage of training and has been temporarily deployed in Ukraine. They are expected to eventually continue their military training at centers in NATO countries or in Ukraine.
Amid troop shortages, Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, recently took its first steps toward mobilizing women in the war by discussing legal changes that would allow women to be conscripted for service and complete basic training.
Kyiv's current laws permit men over the age of 25 to be drafted. While the country's military accepts female volunteers, it does not conscript women.
Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, women have been fighting on behalf of Ukraine voluntarily, serving in combat roles and in positions related to medicine, accounting and communications. Since Moscow's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, women have begun serving in the Armed Forces as drivers, grenade launchers, BMP fighting vehicle commanders, deputy commanders of reconnaissance groups, machine-gunners and snipers.
The U.N. estimates that more than 6 million Ukrainian refugees moved abroad after the war began. In addition to Ukrainians living abroad, Kyiv has also had volunteers from other countries, including Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.
What People Are Saying
Lieutenant Colonel Petro Horkusha, the representative of the Ukrainian Legion's command, said: "Today we have accepted more recruits into the unit than in November. This indicates the growing trust of our citizens in this initiative. Motivated people who are aware of their choice come to us."
Consul General of Ukraine in Lublin Oleh Kuts said during the signing event: "Providing the opportunity for our volunteers to undergo training in modern training centers according to NATO standards is an extremely important contribution to our common victory. I am sincerely grateful to everyone who joins this important cause. Especially to our Polish friends, who have been providing us with invaluable assistance from the first days of the full-scale invasion. Together we are stronger."
What Happens Next
As Ukraine's need for more troops grows amid escalating fighting with Russia, discussions will likely continue in the Verkhovna Rada about women's role in the war and the possibility of conscription.
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