‘I MUST FIGHT FOR MY LAND’
Ukrainian women’s reserve counts double
On the day Russian tanks roll towards Kyiv, Marta Yuzkiv will not be with her children.
Like a growing number of her female compatriots, the 51-year-old scientist is readying to take up arms herself to defend the capital — leaving her twins at home.
“Either you kill the enemy, or the enemy might kill your kid,” Yuzkiv, a 51-year-old scientist, told The Daily Telegraph at her home in Hnativka, near the capital.
As Ukraine braces for a potential invasion by 100,000 Russian troops, both men and women are flocking to the army’s reserve units.
Recent statistics show that 15.6 per cent of the regular army is female — twice as many as in the 2014 conflict — and they are increasingly visible on the front lines in eastern Ukraine.
This compares with about 11 per cent in the U.K., 16 per cent in Canada and 14.4 per cent in the U.S.
Every Saturday, Yuzkiv reports to a training centre near Kyiv where reservist soldiers learn how to operate checkpoints, fire rifles and protect key buildings.
It is physically and mentally demanding work, especially as she already works full time as a clinical research expert.
But unless Russia stops threatening Ukraine with invasion, she says she has no option but to defend her homeland.
“I don’t want to be a victim,” she said.
“I definitely don’t want to live under occupation, and I am not leaving, so my choice is to fight for my land, my family and my country.”
Last month, the Ukrainian government called on all women aged 18 to 60 in decent physical condition to register for potential military service.
“We’re treated the same as the men,” says Yuzkiv, who joined the volunteer forces after reading a news article. “The physical pressure is the same — and I think in some cases women have more stamina.”
Her husband, 43-year-old Sergiy, has also joined up as a reservist. The pair met while working at the same clinical research company, where she was his supervisor.
Now, they are even training together at home by using airsoft rifles to hone their aim.
The tough new lifestyle has led to difficult conversations at home, such as evacuation plans for their children and the prospect of killing for their country.
As soon as an invasion begins, the couple will receive first orders on defending Kyiv. Under their current plans, their twin 13-year-old boys will stay at home while they fight. But if the Russians seize Kyiv, both would be evacuated to the West.
And they have already prepared a bomb shelter in the basement, which is packed with tinned food and other supplies.
They even have a stash of home-made wine, while their vegetable garden and chicken coop should provide other ample sources of food.
One of Yuzkiv’s instructors, Iryna Yosypenko, is a Ukrainian combat medic who saw action in the 2014 war. She returned to the military to teach volunteers how to evacuate the wounded, dress injuries, give painkillers and apply tourniquets.
“I notice not only now but in 2014 that Ukrainian women are very active and ready to join the army at any time — they are ready to defend their country,” she said.
But she added that female soldiers faced some discrimination by older male veterans who have mocked them in posts on social media.
“They say that war is not a place for women. (That) says a lot about discrimination. But I don’t hear this from people serving in the army, so I’m pleased with that situation,” she says.
“I am happy to see women who say they are joining the army to save their own country,” she says, “these women are the most effective soldiers.”
Another motive for women joining, she says, is protecting their children — though for some, choosing whether to leave their kids behind to fight is a real dilemma.
Back in Hnativka, Yuzkiv’s village, she says her children are well prepared to look after themselves — both are practising their first aid skills. The “tremendous” support from Western allies has also been a source of morale, she says.
“We have to keep calm and keep going,” adds the Winston Churchill admirer, alluding to Britain’s totemic Second World War slogan.
WE’RE TREATED THE SAME AS THE MEN. ... PRESSURE IS THE SAME.