A Ukrainian Grandmother in Her 50s' 'Love for Jojuk'... Enlists as a Drone Pilot

Refused Infantry Enlistment Due to Age Limit
"We Will Prevent Enemies from Setting Foot on Our Land"

A woman in her 50s from Ukraine made headlines after being refused enlistment as an infantry soldier and instead voluntarily enlisted as a drone operator. It is reported that she has six children and grandchildren.

According to the US media outlet Business Insider on the 20th (local time), Natalia (54), a Ukrainian woman, recently stated in a local media interview, "Although I could not join the infantry, I enlisted in the Ukrainian military as a drone operator as a way to fight."

The interview was released through the video streaming platform TikTok. Natalia is an ordinary woman with three children and three grandchildren. Having worked as a thermal power plant engineer, she decided to volunteer for enlistment despite being in her 50s.

A Ukrainian woman in her 50s enlisted as a drone pilot [Image source=TikTok]

Regarding her reason for enlisting, she emphasized, "I have a love for my homeland and a strong desire to destroy the enemies so that they can never set foot on our land again."

However, she was refused enlistment as infantry due to her age. Instead, she chose to become a drone operator, which has no specific age limit. The interview video on TikTok captured scenes of her undergoing drone operation training.

Regarding this, Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, said, "Natalia believes that defending the homeland is an honor for both men and women," and emphasized, "Her will stems from a deep love for her country and a strong determination to protect it from threats."

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has mobilized men on a large scale. However, as the war prolonged and manpower losses increased, the Ministry of Defense is currently gradually lifting restrictions on female enlistment.

Accordingly, women can now take on frontline roles such as machine gunners, tank operators, and snipers. The upper age limit for female enlistment has also been raised from the previous 40 years to 60 years, the same as for men.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.