How one woman is breaking a military stereotype in Ukraine
Ukraine's government passed a law allowing women to serve in combat roles in 2018, four years after Russia first attacked eastern Ukraine. But deeply rooted stereotypes among male commanders and rank-and-file soldiers remain difficult to overcome, and women tend to be marginalized and underutilised in the armed forces, Kateryna and activists say.
https://www.deccanherald.com/world/how-one-woman-is-breaking-a-military-stereotype-in-ukraine-3545995
She dreamed of the sky since age 10: story of Ukraine's only female combat pilot
At the age of 16, Kateryna enrolled in the Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University, where she was the only female student. She remembers a lecturer once asking her: "What are you doing here? This is not for girls. You will not make it"...
She has learned to ignore sexist comments and she finds encouragement in the respect shown by other pilots and the trust commanders place in her abilities.
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/05/18/7512769/index.amp
Ukrainian combat pilot lands on the front page of The New York Times.
https://112.ua/en/ukrainska-bojova-lotcica-potrapila-na-persu-spaltu-the-new-york-times-64011