Over 30,000+ Ukrainian Women are serving in this unprecedented war. 15% of the soldiers currently fighting Russia are women. Traditional gender norms in the former Soviet nation have been shaken up thanks to young women who have fought, often as volunteers, against Russia. So much so, that even LGBT war veterans came forward demanding recognition and support for those who still serve. Female combatants such as Ms. Kuzma (pictured here) who said she spent four years as the only woman in her unit, have played a vital role in Ukraine’s conflict with Russian-backed forces that seized parts of the eastern Donbas region in 2014. Thousands mobilized at a time when the Ukrainian military was weak and needed all the help it could get. They served as assault troops, combat medics and snipers, and bolstered the war effort as civilian volunteers bringing supplies to the front under perilous conditions. The dangers Ukraine’s women soldiers face are as real as those faced by the men in their midst. This is something to be in awe of and humbled by in any month. #internationalwomensday #ukraine #women #ukrainwar