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Eight women sue Russian top brass over ban from serving in elite force

Eight Russian women have filed a lawsuit against the Russian National Guard and the Defense Ministry over being barred from contract service in a special ops unit

MOSCOW, November 14. /TASS/. Eight Russian women have filed a lawsuit against the Russian National Guard and the Defense Ministry over being barred from contract service in a special ops unit, Acting Head of Rosgvardia’s Main Organization and Mobilization Department Dmitry Virukhin said.

Under the regulation, women can be recruited only for positions replaceable by men such as cooks, communications operators, telegraphists and technologists, he explained. "We have a list of positions, which are replaceable. These women came and wrote reports that they want to serve as snipers. This is not a replaceable position, this is not a position for women."

In addition, women can neither drive a tank nor work as mechanics of an armored vehicle.

More than 20,000 women are currently on contract service in the country and the number of those willing to join the Russian army has been on the rise, the official said.