Veronika, 19, stood tall in her camouflage uniform, an assault rifle slung over her shoulder. She had only joined the army two months earlier, but her movements were already marked by a military stiffness. She spoke quickly, her voice flat. “It’s the fatigue. I’ve only slept five hours in the last three days,” explained the trainee, currently at a military training ground near Kyiv. Veronika signed an “18-24 contract” with the military, a recruitment scheme that the Ukrainian government has actively promoted since February to attract young people in this age group. The draft applies only to men aged 25 to 60.
Women, except those in medical roles, are not subject to conscription and can only join the military on a voluntary basis – a path not without hurdles. “I tried six times to sign a contract with the army and failed six times,” said Lialia (her nom de guerre), 19, originally from Odesa. There were no soldiers in her family who could put in a good word for her: “I was only able to join the army with this new 18-24 contract. But even then, it took me two days to find a unit that would take me – the 72nd Brigade – as a ‘combat medic.’” It’s a hybrid role combining that of an infantry soldier and a combat nurse (which does not exist in the French military). Veronika, who wore a conspicuous pink Hello Kitty patch on her shoulder as if to assert her individuality, felt well-integrated in the group.
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