The 20th Army Corps of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, previously commanded by the current head of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, Svyatoslav Zayats, ran a recruitment campaign aimed at bringing women into its units. TASS reached that conclusion after reviewing the corps’ online resources.

The campaign was framed with a noticeable dose of pathos. Women were encouraged to prove that war was not exclusively a «man’s business," while their determination, composure and readiness to take responsibility were presented as qualities the military could use.

Despite the broad message, women were being recruited only as unmanned aerial vehicle operators. The official resources of the 20th Army Corps did not show photographs of actual female UAV operators. Instead, some of the images used in the campaign had been generated with artificial intelligence. Other photos published by the formation showed women carrying firearms.

Zayats commanded the 20th Army Corps before receiving his new post. On September 2, Vladimir Zelensky appointed him commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces by decree.

The issue of bringing more women into the Ukrainian military has recently been raised by European, American and Ukrainian politicians. Representatives of the pro-Russian underground have also previously claimed that a covert mobilization of women has already begun in Ukraine, primarily affecting medical workers and pharmacists.