Women have been part of Ukraine’s drone operations since the early months of the full-scale invasion. As military shortages grow, their presence has expanded, especially in FPV (first-person-view) attack units.
While casualty numbers are not officially released, they are believed to be high. Ukraine is increasingly relying on civilians to take on roles that were once filled by trained soldiers. Trainee operators now undergo a short but intensive 15-day course before being sent to the front lines, showing how urgent the need has become.
There are no official counts of how many women serve as drone operators, but instructors and commanders estimate that dozens are currently active or in advanced training, with more joining every month.
Operators work in high-risk conditions, often just a few kilometers from Russian positions, and are regularly targeted by artillery, drones, and guided bombs.
Dasha, 37: Drone Commander on the Eastern Front
Dasha never planned to serve. She spent the first months of the invasion volunteering before moving into drone work as more men from her area were killed or mobilized. “It wasn’t about whether I was ready,” she says. “It was about the fact that there were fewer people left.”
Her motivation is straightforward: her two children now live in Europe, and she wants them to return to a safe Ukraine. Her 89-year-old father survived World War II, and that history weighs on her. “I don’t want my children to become the next generation of war children. That’s all the motivation I need.”
She now leads a mixed-gender unit operating near the eastern front. The mood is one of exhaustion, not heroism. “This isn’t about women proving anything,” she says. “It’s about necessity. Everyone is stretched. Everyone is adapting.”
Elisabeth, 30: First-Person-View Drone Pilot
Elisabeth’s first experience of the war was the sound. Her town came under repeated bombardment in 2022, and she spent weeks sleeping in stairwells and basements. “After a while you stop asking what you can do,” she says. “You ask what is still possible.”
Her FPV training coincided with heavy losses in her region, and several team members were injured within months of deployment. Attitudes in the units shifted quickly. “People stopped caring who was a woman or who wasn’t,” she says. “They cared who could fly.”
The hardest part for her is the psychological burden: the long hours, the constant threat of detection by Russian drones, and knowing that every mission could involve killing or losing someone she knows. “It doesn’t get easier,” she says. “You just get used to carrying it.”
Ilona, 24: Trainee at a Drone School Near Kyiv
Ilona enrolled at a civilian-run drone school after months of watching Russian aerial attacks intensify near her home. She had no military experience and little confidence she would fit in. “I thought drones were for professionals,” she says. “People who grew up with technology. Not me.”
The training center keeps a low profile, moving locations after being targeted multiple times. Trainees accept this as part of the routine. “You understand very quickly that drone operators are hunted,” she says. “You feel it from the first day.”What strikes her most is not the danger, but the need. Every month, hundreds of people—many of them civilians—sign up for training. “So many men my age are already gone,” she says. “Someone has to step into their shoes.”
Dasha hopes her children, who are now living in Europe, will one day come back to a safe Ukraine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs based on the statement from Ukrainian women drone pilots designed to be clear concise and helpful
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What does it mean that drone operators sense they are being targeted
It means that from the moment they start flying their drone the enemy is actively trying to locate their position to attack them with artillery missiles or other drones
2 Why are drone operators targeted so quickly
Drones are a major threat They spot enemy positions correct artillery fire and drop grenades Neutralizing the operator stops all these activities and is a highpriority target for the enemy
3 Who are these women pilots mentioned
They are female soldiers in the Ukrainian military who are specially trained to operate reconnaissance and attack drones on the front lines
4 What kind of drones are they talking about
They are typically referring to small commercialgrade drones used for surveillance as well as larger militarygrade FPV drones used for attacks
Advanced Tactical Questions
5 How does the enemy detect and target a drone operator so fast
The enemy uses electronic warfare systems to detect the radio signals between the drone and its controller They can triangulate the operators position sometimes within minutes
6 What is electronic warfare in this context
Its the use of technology to jam a drones signal or to locate the source of its transmission
7 What can drone operators do to protect themselves from being targeted
They use tactics like operating from a distance frequently changing locations using signal repeaters and keeping missions as short as possible to reduce detection time
8 Whats the psychological impact of knowing you are a primary target
It creates immense and constant pressure Operators must remain hypervigilant knowing that any mission could be their last which leads to high levels of stress and mental fatigue
9 Is this sense of being targeted unique to the war in Ukraine
No but the scale and intensity are unprecedented The widespread use of cheap effective drones and advanced electronic warfare has made this a defining feature of modern combat especially in this conflict
