Pink Missiles: How Ukraine’s Female Warriors Are Trolling Russia

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Last week drone makers Wild Hornets delivered a special batch of their Sting interceptor drones. The only difference from the standard Shahed-killer is that these Stings were pink, for a unit with a female commander and female operators. This is one of many examples of women making their presence visible in the conflict.

The war against Russia is also a culture war, and Ukraine’s female warriors leverage the worst fears of their macho opponents.

Integrated, To A Degree
In theory Ukraine’s armed forces are highly integrated, but only about 70,000 women are serving in the military, and of these just 5,500 are in combat zones. Activists says that sexism is still a problem, and while there are a few prominent women, they still complain about entrenched attitudes.

This is a military which only emerged relatively recently from the Soviet system, and many of the senior officers are seen as remnants of the Soviet days. A 2018 survey found that 53% of Ukrainians supported the idea of equality between women and men in the military. By March 2023, after the invasion, this had risen to 80%.

In May, the 13th National Guard Khartiia Brigade launched the first ever campaign aimed directly at recruiting women.

Ukrainian media have celebrated all-female units, such as the Witches of Bucha, a volunteer air defence unit, one of many mobile fire teams tasked with shooting down Shahed drones with light anti-aircraft weapons. Since attacks are usually at night, the Witches combine fighting drones with day jobs including a teacher, a doctor, and a nail technician. Members say that taking an active role overcomes the feeling of helplessness from night after night of drone attacks.