Russia Increases Recruitment of Women for Military Service Amid Ongoing Conflict

<figure><img alt="Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on board of a missile cruiser “Varyag” in Russia's far eastern Sakhalin Region, Russia, August 12, 2026." src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/UZTF262OJFAWBO6FBIWF7BFKA4.JPG?auth=2f04ef0d3f95b35770a41ab0ae032462a87dba341210534e07f3b2d574139fa1&amp;smart=true&amp;width=2659&amp;height=1496" /><figcaption>Gavriil Grigorov / Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via Reuters</figcaption></figure><p>Vladimir Putin has increased efforts to recruit women into the military as Ukraine's drone offensive intensifies pressure on the Kremlin. Women can now sign military contracts in any Russian region following a rule change in Spring, with recruiters promoting positions on Telegram channels, according to the Polish investigative publication <a href="https://vot-tak.tv/94855630/rossijanki-yhodyat-na-voinu-i-pogibaut" rel="" target="_self" title="https://vot-tak.tv/94855630/rossijanki-yhodyat-na-voinu-i-pogibaut">Vot Tak</a>.</p><p>The requirements for women are similar to those for men: candidates must be Russian citizens aged approximately 18 to 45, possess at least a secondary education, meet health standards, and have no criminal record—although some with expunged records may be accepted.</p><img alt="Russian female officers attend the Victory Day military parade rehearsals. / Mikhail Svetlov / Getty Images" height="2722" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/B3FXFREVXBBTTEGWXVWPXKCSSM.jpg?auth=56d06cff1080fe8ab0d57c1483251982e88dd004d265b3e37dc2e52389fe6ef1&amp;smart=true&amp;width=3871&amp;height=2722" width="3871" /><p>Most job postings exclude pregnant women or those with young children, although some do not specify family status. Compensation, benefits, and contract terms are similar to those offered to male recruits, with contracts with the Ministry of Defense automatically extended until the war concludes.</p><p>Mediazona, a Russian independent media outlet collaborating with the BBC, has reported nearly 240,000 confirmed Russian military deaths since the onset of the conflict in February 2022, though the actual number is likely higher.</p><p>Regional authorities have implemented additional recruitment strategies. Since late 2025, female college and university students have been encouraged to enlist in cities such as St. Petersburg, Samara, Krasnoyarsk, Novokuznetsk, Yaroslavl, and the Ulyanovsk region, including a closed recruitment meeting for women at a technical college in Krasnoyarsk.</p><video id="zWsG1sad" poster="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/zWsG1sad/poster.jpg"><source src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/videos/zWsG1sad.mp4" type="video/mp4" /></video><p>In May, officials in Tomsk sought female drone operators for “facility security,” while a district in Perm Krai looked for “drone operators and drivers for humanitarian aid” the following month.</p><p>Reports indicate that women have increasingly experienced unsolicited recruitment outreach. A Kaliningrad resident named Nadezhda reported receiving a call offering a $35,000 contract shortly after enrolling her child in kindergarten; she declined the offer, and recruiters did not follow up. Another woman, a mother of a seven-year-old, expressed her reaction to a similar proposal: “As soon as they told me, ‘Would you like to sign a contract to defend the motherland? We’re calling and offering it to girls, too,’ I said, ‘Are you f---ing nuts?’”</p><p>Mediazona also reported that a pregnant woman received a military summons.</p><img alt="Smoke billows from the burning Wildberries warehouses following a Ukrainian drone attack, August 16. / Stringer / REUTERS" height="3662" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/7PA4CX7LHRHWXKIHGGER6EZ77M.JPG?auth=dce950c19d905bb594b6f7e6c2bf470b02f37ef3416475435f628bc3269e85a4&amp;smart=true&amp;width=5712&amp;height=3662" width="5712" /><p>Despite some reluctance, demand for recruitment slots appears high. A journalist posing as a potential recruit in Krasnoyarsk was informed that one campaign had closed after just a month but could “resume at any moment.”</p><p>A brief recruitment drive in the Tomsk region lasted only ten days before reaching capacity. The Telegram channel Contract Service sought female medical specialists in August 2025, paused for several months, then reopened in June with an expanded list of roles including drone operations, communications, logistics, and supply, only to close again within two weeks due to high applicant volume.</p><p>Russia has also established an all-female drone unit, referred to as “Night Witches 2.0.” One volunteer, Elizaveta Tsybina, expressed her concerns about the commitment, stating, “I’m not risking [serving] until the end of the Second Military District. If I had a choice, I would choose not to start this path,” adding that disillusionment with the armed forces is common among personnel, even if few express it openly.</p><img alt="There were already long queues at a gas station in Russia last month due to a fuel shortage following a spate of Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries. / Sergey Pivovarov / Sergey Pivovarov/Reuters" height="4024" src="https://thedailybeast-thedailybeast-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/QHQRQ5PACZGFZGMLDUGBEKDCFU.JPG?auth=127491d931d52eba59674167691e6bfedab46dfa35be0c8d3c9e216c10b8e68a&amp;smart=true&amp;width=6048&amp;height=4024" width="6048" /><p>Women have historically served in administrative roles within the Russian military, but the ongoing conflict has seen an increasing number participating in direct combat roles, including as snipers, machine gunners, and drone operators. A 19-year-old medical instructor named Sofia, who signed her contract in 2023, expressed disappointment with her experience, stating, “I’m disillusioned with the current army and want to retire as soon as possible.”</p><p>The recruitment initiative coincides with Ukraine's drone campaign impacting Russia's economic stability. Long queues have been reported at gas stations nationwide due to fuel shortages, while Ukraine has targeted e-commerce companies such as Wildberries and Ozon, with the latter experiencing multiple strikes recently.</p><p></p><p></p>