DISINFO: Ukraine sends pregnant women to the front line
SUMMARY
The shortage of male conscripts in Ukraine resulted in a decree that called up women for military service. Moreover, Kyiv is going to send pregnant women to the front line. Ukrainian developers showed journalists their newest invention - a special armoured uniform for pregnant Ukrainian women.
RESPONSE
The claim advances a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative regarding Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.
To promote disinformation about sending pregnant Ukrainian women to the front, pro-Kremlin media used photos and videos of a real presentation of an anatomical female armoured suit called Ruta Lyuta. The protective suit presented on September 14 in Kyiv is not body armour for pregnant women. It is standard military equipment, only adjusted to accommodate female anatomical and physiological parameters.
Ruta Lyuta is an armoured suit designed to accommodate the body structure of female military personnel. The suit comprises separate components that can be either combined into a single unit or worn independently. For instance, a bulletproof vest can be worn separately based on the specific needs and tasks of female soldiers. The armoured suit includes a vest to protect the chest against gunshot wounds, while other modules safeguard the stomach, neck, and shoulders.
Exactly the same armoured suits are made in Ukraine for men - with modules for the chest, neck, shoulders, abdomen and groin areas.
This form of armoured suits is used by the armed forces of many countries around the world and such armoured suits are not something out of the ordinary.
About 42,000 female military personnel serve in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, about five thousand of them are on the front line, where they perform combat missions on an equal basis with men. That is why Ukraine developed military uniforms and equipment for women.
There is no mandatory mobilisation of women in Ukraine. Women can become military personnel solely by their own free will. In addition, according to Ukrainian legislation, pregnancy is a legal basis for the dismissal of a female soldier from the army at her own request. Also, female military personnel can take advantage of maternity leave to care for a child until he or she reaches the age of three (Article 26 of the Law of Ukraine “On Military Duty and Military Service”).
See a similar case - Ukraine is training pensioners as tank crews because its military reserves are gone.