The number of female soldiers in Ukraine’s military has risen sharply after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea. Since the beginning of the Ukraine War, women have played a key role for Ukraine’s armed forces. They have served on the front lines as infantry, combat medics, and even snipers. Women also help sustain the war effort from the home front as civilian volunteers by procuring vital supplies and equipment and delivering them to the front lines. Some of the female fighters are only 22 years old, many of them have been fighting against Russia since they were as young as 18. The tensions in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the Ukraine are evident with frequent exchanges of gun fire. According to the United Nations the war has led to the deaths of an estimated 13,000 people since 2014, including civilians, Ukrainian troops, separatists, Russian servicemen and members of pro-Kiev militias. Due to heavy daily shelling, many towns near the front lines are now practically empty.
