A russian state-backed private military company (PMC) is specifically attempting to recruit women into combat roles in Ukraine for the first time. Recent social media adverts have appealed for female recruits to join Borz Battalion, a part of russian Redut PMC, to work as snipers and unmanned aerial vehicle operators. Redut company is likely directly sponsored by the russian Main Intelligence Directorate, the UK Defense Intelligence reports.
In March 2023, russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that 1,100 women were deployed in Ukraine, which would equate to only around 0.3 per cent of its force. As Redut’s advert points out, they currently serve in mostly medical support and food service roles.
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It remains unclear whether official russian defense forces will seek to follow suit and open more combat roles to women. Women have rarely taken front line fighting roles within pro-Russian forces during the current conflict; however, there was a strong tradition of female snipers and other combat troops in Soviet forces during the Second World War.
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