in Ukraine, women prepare for the idea of ​​being drafted to strengthen the army

Ukraine launches a plan to recruit at least 500,000 people to face the war against Russia. kyiv could in particular enlist many women, because the army especially lacks medical personnel.

This is the subject that particularly worries Ukrainians this week: the army lacks soldiers. kyiv announces that it will have to recruit at least 500,000 to face Russia.
The government must propose a new text in the coming days and there is uncertainty regarding women. So far, only volunteers have joined the army. But there is a shortage of medical personnel to the point that those who work as nurses, doctors or dentists could be conscripted.

In a dental office in kyiv, Alexandra, a 32-year-old dentist, leans over her patient. She tries to get used to the idea: if she is called, she will agree to go to war. “I don’t have children. It would obviously be a form of sacrifice for me. But it’s better that women like me go, rather than mothers.”

“I’m trying to prepare myself mentally.”

At his side, his colleague Julia, 31 years old. Red patches are forming on her neck from stress, she says, broken by the mere mention of the subject. “We are human, we all want to live our lives. We don’t want to die.” The thirty-year-old is constantly caught up in the war. She had to flee her city, now occupied by Russia, and took refuge in kyiv with her family. And now she awaits this law with anxiety. Julia is afraid in kyiv, so imagining herself on a front line, infinitely more dangerous, no. She obviously fears losing her life, but also of abandoning her family.

“I evacuated my mother and my grandmother who has cancer. I am the only person who supports them financially. I am not ready to leave them like this and leave them to go to war.”

Julia, 31 years old

at franceinfo

On the front, there is a severe shortage of medical personnel. Sofia knows it: she is preparing to leave Ukraine for a few days. Psychiatrist in Lviv, she treats soldiers suffering from post-traumatic stress
She also awaits this law with anxiety. “I’m trying to mentally prepare myself, since I don’t have kids. I’m trying to prepare myself for the fact that they’ll eventually call me. They’ll have to drag us away first. I start to panic sometimes. But we have to be prepared. That everyone in the country will eventually have to go to war.”

Sofia also dreams of having children one day. She is 28 years old. Like so many young Ukrainians, she is awaiting the new draft law on mobilization which is due to be released in just a few days.