Women in combat not eligible for social benefits as not officially allowed to serve

Women are not officially allowed to serve on the front lines in the regular Ukrainian army, so they have to officially register for support positions such as cooks or headquarters staff.

According to the European Space Ukrainian news portal, the problem has been covered by The Daily Signal journalist Nolan Peterson, a former pilot and veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, who spoke with the women in combat.

The author mentions that women have played a key role for Ukraine’s armed forces since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. “They have served on the front lines as infantry, combat medics, and even snipers. And they help sustain the war effort from the home front as civilian volunteers by procuring vital supplies and equipment and delivering them to the front lines,” reads the article.

“Women are still officially barred from front-line service in Ukraine’s regular army, and most of the women who have served in combat have done so as members of civilian volunteer battalions,” the article’s author notes.

Nowadays as the Ukrainian authorities merge the volunteer battalions into the Ukrainian National Guard and regular army, women serving in combat roles had to officially register for support positions such as cooks or headquarters staff. They are not eligible to receive awards and benefits awarded to male combat veterans, though sharing the same risks and living conditions on the front lines, the author writes.