NEW YORK, November 9. /TASS/. Ukraine is trying to attract more women to the frontline due to the huge losses the Ukrainian army has suffered in the combat zone and mass draft evasion by men, The New York Times (NYT) has reported.

According to it, Ukraine is trying to recruit more women into the army, as it is believed that the situation with the Ukrainian army is now "hinging on refilling the ranks of soldiers." These efforts are supported by volunteer groups that offer female-only combat training. The newspaper notes that mobilization and training of female fighters is necessary because many of the volunteers have already been "wounded, captured and killed" and "men are increasingly dodging the draft." "Outreach to women is a step toward equality, to be sure, but one that also reflects the tremendous toll the war has exacted," the newspaper says.

NYT cites data from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, according to which about 43,000 women are currently serving in the Ukrainian army, which is about 40% more than in 2021. Ukrainian women are already taking part in combat operations in southeastern Ukraine.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, said in an interview with The Economist on November 2 that the Ukraine conflict has reached a stalemate and that Ukrainian troops will not be able to make any breakthroughs on the battlefield. According to him, a positional conflict of attrition may drag on for years and wear down Ukraine.

The Ukrainian army has been making unsuccessful attempts at an offensive since June 4. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on October 30 that Kiev had lost over 90,000 servicemen killed and wounded, as well as about 600 tanks and 1,900 armored vehicles of various classes. According to the Russian Defense Minister, Ukraine failed to achieve any tactically significant successes. On 15 October, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the counter-offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces had completely failed, although Kiev was preparing new active offensive operations in some areas of the front.