'Who else can do it but us?': Women deminers step in to clear Ukrainian land
Deminer Tetiana Shpak crouches down in a once tranquil poppy-strewn field in the southern Ukrainian village of Snihurivka, now littered with Russian mines. Just a few years ago, this scene would have been impossible – until 2018, women were banned from becoming deminers, a profession long considered too dangerous for them. But the Russian invasion in February 2022 changed that. More women like her are joining mine-clearance teams, where they now account for 30 percent of personnel, according to official data.
Deminer Tetiana Shpak crouches down in a once tranquil poppy-strewn field in the southern Ukrainian village of Snihurivka, now littered with Russian mines. Just a few years ago, this scene would have been impossible – until 2018, women were banned from becoming deminers, a profession long considered too dangerous for them. But the Russian invasion in February 2022 changed that. More women like her are joining mine-clearance teams, where they now account for 30 percent of personnel, according to official data.
What's Your Reaction?
