News of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dominated media headlines for the past week and a half. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has emerged as a fearless leader amongst prominent world figures, choosing to remain in the nation’s capital city of Kyiv rather than evacuate. Ukrainian men aged 18 to 60 have been prevented from leaving the country in order to defend their borders from Russian invaders as their women and children have been fleeing to neighboring countries to avoid bloodshed and ruin. However, many Ukrainian women have also refused to flee, determined to stand up and defend their country alongside their husbands and sons.
Images and stories emerging from Ukraine depicting Ukrainian women as warriors for holding nationalistic pride for their country disguise a grimmer reality of duty. Women from prominent figures in Parliament and social media to teachers and mothers have taken up arms against Putin and his army. Teachers from Dnipro learn how to make Molotov cocktails and how to use an automatic rifle rather than prepare education lessons for their students. A viral video showed an older Ukrainian woman bravely approaching Russian soldiers to offer them sunflower seeds. In the video, she can be heard saying the soldiers should keep them in their pockets so that, should they die, sunflowers will grow where they fell on Ukrainian soil. In yet another viral video, Valentyna Kostyantynovska, a 79-year-old, is seen learning how to use an AK rifle. She has since stated that it has always been a dream of her to fight for her country’s independence.
Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian member of parliament, has joined her president in his resolve to stay in the country and take up arms against Putin. She posted a photo of herself holding an AK rifle, detailing how she was prepared to take up arms to defend her country in the post. Ukrainian women hold nearly 21% of seats in Parliament, unlike Russia, where barely 16% of top political offices are held by women. Rudik’s determination to help hold the city of Kyiv against the Russian army reveals layers of Ukrainian national pride and resistance to a Russian takeover, derailing Putin’s blitzkrieg plan of a swift takeover.
Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina has also taken a stand against Russia to defend her nation in the world of sport. Svitolina vowed to donate all her prize money earnings from tournaments to Ukraine’s military while simultaneously refusing to play against any Russian or Belorussian player unless they played under a neutral flag without displaying any of their country’s colors or anthems. Decisions across the sports world have heavily affected Russian sports, including banning the Russian soccer team from playing in qualifiers for the World Cup as well as banning Russian and Belorussian figure skaters from the World Championships. The tennis world was the latest to take a stand against Russia, conceding with Svitolina’s wish and banning players from competing under the Russian and Belorussian flags. Wearing her country’s colors proudly out on the tennis courts of Monterrey, Mexico, she played through tears as she defeated her Russian opponent in an emphatic showing of strength and endurance. Her voice, alongside other prominent figures such as former Miss Ukraine Anastasiia Lenna, serves to raise awareness of the ongoing conflict happening within their country. Rather than shy away from the conflict, these women have chosen to use their platforms to elevate those fleeing Ukraine and unable to speak out.
The conflict has united women from all walks of life to fight for their country in a show of retaliation and resistance that Russian forces did not expect at the start of their invasion. The Ukrainian women’s strength and confidence to defend their nation echo the Ukrainian population’s resilience in the face of battle. While the crisis in Ukraine continues to evolve as new developments take place, women continue to provide their assistance in the fight against Russia to prove their united courage makes all the difference.