Women Take the Controls: Drones Open Combat and Tech Roles on Ukraine’s Front Lines

Technology Is Changing Who Fights

When Russia’s full-scale invasion began nearly four years ago, 26-year-old soldier known by the call sign Monka did not imagine a frontline combat role for herself. After leaving a restaurant management job abroad, she returned to Ukraine last year and trained to pilot short-range first-person-view (FPV) drones. She now serves in the Unmanned Systems Battalion of the Third Army Corps and says new technology has altered the nature of fighting: “The fact that technology lets us deliver ammunition without carrying it in our hands or running it to the front line — that’s incredible,” she said.

More Women Are Joining Combat and Technical Units

Monka’s shift reflects a broader trend: as unmanned systems and other modern technologies reshape warfare, more women are taking on combat and technical roles. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry reports that more than 70,000 women served in the military in 2025 — a 20% increase from 2022 — with over 5,500 deployed directly on the front line. Some brigades and corps have tailored recruitment and training to attract women with engineering, IT and piloting skills.

Personal Paths Into Drone Work

Imla, 27, left a professional hockey career to join Kraken 1654. She planned to be a combat paramedic but, after six months, was required to learn to fly drones as part of her duties. She progressed from small reconnaissance drones to larger models carrying ordnance and now works full-time as a drone operator. “To be honest, I even wanted to cry in some moments,” she recalled of her first flight. “But then, over time, you build up experience on the job and start feeling confident.”

The Khartiia Corps reports a roughly 20% rise in women since 2024 and launched a recruitment campaign with the Dignitas Foundation to bring women into combat and technological roles. Khartiia also trains officers to lead mixed units with personnel of different ages, genders and backgrounds.

Challenges Remain

Despite progress, cultural and institutional barriers persist. A soldier known as Yaha joined in 2023 and began as a clerk; when she asked to attend drone courses, some commanders suggested she replace the cook instead. Working in the kitchen, she studied manuals, practiced on simulators and bought her own controller; she later became a bomber-drone pilot in the 9th Brigade.

Chibi, a 20-year-old FPV technician in Khartiia, prepares drones in a basement near the eastern front and faced skepticism from some colleagues who doubted her technical skills because she is a woman. A supportive teammate helped her develop into a valued technician. “The more women there are, the better the attitude toward them will be,” she said.

Not Safer — But Different

Officials warn that drone roles are not inherently safer: Russian forces actively target drone operators and crews involved in electronic warfare and repair.

Olha Meloshyna, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, says women now fill roles across operation, repair and electronic warfare. Women constitute about 4.2% of the Unmanned Systems Forces — a meaningful share given voluntary enlistment — and the unit plans a media-driven recruitment drive to add up to 15,000 personnel, including women, across combat and noncombat specialties.

Why It Matters

Commanders and recruits stress that modern technological roles prioritize technical skill, judgment and motivation over physical strength. As drones and other unmanned systems become central to reconnaissance and striking, expanding the talent pool — including more women — is both a practical and strategic priority for Ukraine’s armed forces.