Olesya Didenko, a resident of Krasnoyarsk Krai, has signed a contract to fight in Ukraine. According to the woman, she decided to go to war "at the call of her heart." Didenko has left her three minor children to her husband’s care. Komsomolskaya Pravda published her story on September 1.
Olesya Didenko, 39, told reporters that she had dreamed of military service since childhood, and when war broke out in Ukraine, she decided "at the call of her heart" to join the troops as a volunteer. After taking medical courses, she signed a contract. The woman got ready for service and lost 72 kg (159 lbs).
Olesya Didenko from Krasnoyarsk Krai. Photo by "Komsomolskaya Pravda"
"I had to get there. That's the thought I went to sleep with and woke up with. Everyone says it's not a girl's duty. And who decided so, why do only men owe the Motherland?" the woman says.
At the moment, the woman’s unit is in Siberia; no date has been set yet for their deployment to Ukraine. There is another female, a 23-year-old, who serves along with Olesya. Didenko has left her three minor children to her husband’s care. At first, he was against her going to war, but then he "got used to the idea."
In the summer of 2023, the Russian authorities became more active in encouraging women to serve in the army or territorial defense units. For example, in July, contract service offers for women appeared in Omsk. They were presented with employment opportunities as cooks or doctors in the occupied Ukrainian territories.
In the Belgorod region, women were invited to join the local territorial defense.
