https://www.tiktok.com/@vi.ka_222/video/7072779869330935045?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1 According to the Christian Science Monitor, women make up 10 percent of Ukrainian armed forces. “This is not about conscription after reaching some age, as it is for men,” Ukrainian MP Oleksandra Ustinova said. “And considering more than 122,000 Russian troops are at our borders, the decision seems logical, timely, and sensible.” Women in Ukraine were given the right to serve in combat positions as recently as 2016. But with the growing, looming threat of a potential Russian invasion, Ukraine expanded its military conscription in December 2021. The expansion deemed “all women fit for military service” between 18 and 60 eligible to serve. In another interview, Ustinova added, “This sends a powerful signal to Moscow that Ukrainians are ready to resist. Although we strive for the introduction of the contract army, in the current situation, the decision to educate as many people as possible to hold arms and to be ready to serve seems a good one.” But what no one could have predicted is the way female soldiers in Ukraine would use social media… and how the rest of the world would respond. One TikToker—female soldier @Katiusha—posts lots of glamorous-looking videos of her and her comrades dressed in their fatigues. So far, she’s amassed 30K followers and collected as many as 500,000 likes on the app. In these videos, their makeup is done, their hair is done, and they can often be seen bonding in the barracks, posing for the camera, or dancing to Ukrainian music. In short, they’re acting like absolute badasses and showing the world that they cannot be contained. Another account—@katya_kiselova_doc—often posts TikToks of her and another fellow soldier lip-syncing and dancing in their fatigues as well. Her bio reads “Military doctor in Kyiev” and she has already gotten up to 36.K TikTok followers since launching her account in December. Ukrainian soldier and TikToker @vi.ka_222 has also been getting a lot of attention for sharing videos about what life is like in the Ukrainian Army. Some of her videos show her and others dancing or frolicking around the barracks and blowing kisses to the camera. Her bio reads, “Here only Ukrainian content” and though she mostly posts lip-syncing videos, she has more than 50K followers on TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@vi.ka_222/video/7065351265542229253?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1 It’s less the lip-syncing, dancing, and contouring that people are taking note of in these TikTok videos. When Ukrainian commando Oleksandr Kolym went viral for dancing to a Whitney Houston song, people everywhere praised the “indestructibility of the Ukrainian spirit.” Of course, it isn’t the first time the women of Ukraine have come through for their country. Back in 2014, women showed up in droves to contest Moscow’s advances when Russia annexed Crimea and targeted Donbas. Then, it was commonplace to see women working in the military as medics, soldiers, and even snipers. However, there is little—if any—official record of these women’s accomplishments. After all, this was prior to the 2016 edict that granted women the right to serve in combat positions. Sadly, most official records do not include these Ukrainian women’s valiant efforts. As profiled in the 2017 documentary Invisible Batallion, women like Yulia Matvienko, 38, and Olena Bilozerska, 38, served as snipers for the Ukrainian army—off the record. Then there’s Andriana Susak, 29, officially listed as the head of the sewing and fixing team for military equipment. In reality, she was commanding a gun, not a needle and thread, and was responsible for liberating hundreds, if not thousands of people, living in occupied towns. There is no denying that the women of the Ukrainian military have proved crucial during Russia’s most recent offenses. After all, with the situation so dire, it’s not like Ukraine can afford to turn anyone away—no matter their gender—should they want to join the ranks. Civilian women are also displaying an effervescent attitude worth mentioning. Despite not being enrolled in the Army, Ukrainian women everywhere are doing anything they can to stave off Russia—even from the sidelines. One older woman in Kyiv was featured on CNN making Molotov cocktails from a tutorial she found online. “Let these Russian s–ts come here,” she said. “We are ready to greet them.” Next up, how to help Ukraine.
