How Ukraine’s Female Warriors Are Trolling Russia

Special pink Sting interceptor drones supplied to Defence Intelligence of Ukraine by Serhii Sternenko’s fundraising effort

Serhii Sternenko

Last week done makers Wild Hornets delivered a special batch of their Sting interceptor drones. The only difference from the standard Shahed-killer is that these Stings were pink, for a unit with a female commander and female operators. This is one of many examples of women making their presence visible in the conflict.

The war against Russia is also culture war, and Ukraine’s female warriors leverage the worst fears of their macho opponents.

Integrated, To A Degree

In theory Ukraine’s armed forces are highly integrated, but only about 70,000 women are serving in the military, and of these just 5,500 are in combat zones. Activists says that sexism is still a problem, and while there are a few prominent women, they still complain about entrenched attitudes.

This is a military which only emerged relatively recently from the Soviet system, and many of the senior officers are seen as remnants of the Soviet days. Attitudes change slowly but there are positive signs. A 2018 survey found that 53% of Ukrainians supported the idea of equality between women and men in the military. By March 2023, after the invasion, this had risen to 80%.

In May, the 13^th National Guard Khartiia Brigade launched the first ever campaign aimed directly at recruiting women.

Ukrainian media have highlighted all-female units, such as the Witches of Bucha, a volunteer air defence unit, one of many mobile fire teams tasked with shooting down Shahed drones with light anti-aircraft weapons. Since attacks are usually at night, the Witches combine fighting drones with day jobs including a teacher, a doctor, and a nail technician. Members say that taking an active role overcomes the feeling of helplessness from night after night of drone attacks.

Women are operating drones too. In April the Unmanned Systems Forces started recruiting for an all-female ‘Harpies’ unit with FPVs and bomber drones. The unit will not exclude men, but “the role of pilots who deliver the final blow will be performed exclusively by women,” according to an official statement.

This will help boost recruitment of female drone operators by ensuring a supportive environment. But it is also a great way of trolling the Russians. The Russian army is extremely traditional in gender roles, fostering an ultra-macho environment in which strength, toughness and violent bullying are proud traditions. Being targeted by women is emasculating, and the Ukrainians are likely aware of this.

Queens And Aces

Some female drone operators are already legends. Katerina Troian, callsign ‘Meow’, died in a Russian artillery strike in June 2025. She was a noted FPV pilot with over a thousand missions to her credit. Rather than trying to blend in and be one of the guys, Meow stood out with blue hair and cats’ ears.

Another operator, 19-year-old ‘Yunha’ told RBC-Ukraine that, after initially not being taken seriously because she was a girl, things changed in combat.

“Real training only begins in the combat zone,” says Yunha. “You learn to make decisions on the fly. This isn’t a computer game. It’s a place where anything can happen, at any moment, and you have to be ready for that.”

Again, FPV skills and focus, attention and calmness, have helped Yunha rack up numerous kills.

“I understand that taking out equipment, artillery, and other large, massive targets is definitely more strategically valuable, but when you’re terrorizing and eliminating infantry, it honestly brings more satisfaction,” she says.

This message may be meant for the Russians. But it is a challenge to anyone who does not think women in the military should be taken seriously. Yunha may not look like a stereotypical warrior, but her record speaks for itself.

Flamingo Cruise Missile: Think Pink

Ukraine’s new FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile sends the same message. The name, and the pink paint job seen on prototypes, were the choice of a woman in the design team, who wanted to highlight this female contribution to the war effort. Production missiles will not have the conspicuous coloring, as it makes launchers too visible. But even the Flamingo’s name strikes a definite contrast to Russian missiles like Kinzhal (“Dagger”).

The pink Wasp interceptors are similarly a visible sign that women are taking part in the defense of Ukraine.

In Russia, women have a different role. The female snipers and fighter pilots of WWII have been consigned to history. Instead, to celebrate International Women’s Day the United Russia Women’s Movement, affiliated with Putin’s ruling party, sent flowers to the mothers of soldiers fighting in Ukraine. In the Russian city of Cheboksary, local officials organized an event for the widows and mothers of fallen soldiers, with bouquets and gift bags labeled “Happiness and Joy.” Women are responsible for raising soldiers.

In America, at the recent gathering of generals Pete Hegseth claimed that U.S. military standards had been lowered to admit women and that they would be raised again.

“If it means no women qualify for combat jobs, then so be it,” said Hegseth, though he insisted that women would not be completely excluded from the armed forces.

Some women serving in the U.S. military were angered by the statements, seeing them as baseless. Others believe Hegseth wants to remove women from the military.

As many commentators have noted, even in a drone war soldiers need high standards of physical fitness. The ‘grey zone’ where drones rapidly destroy vehicles mean that in Ukraine troops often end up carrying heavy packs for long distances. They also have to live in difficult conditions for long periods. But the number of effective female drone operators suggests that women can carry out these roles.

Expect to see more bright pink drones terrorising Russian forces in future.