【1月10日】看軍聞學英語

■林國賓

原文：

When Russia’s full-scale invasion began nearly four years ago, a 26-year-old soldier known as Monka didn’t see a combat role she could do. But that changed as technology reshaped the battlefield and opened new paths.

Last year, she joined the military as a pilot of short-range, first-person view, or FPV, drones after giving up a job managing a restaurant abroad and returning home to Ukraine to serve.

Her shift is part of a larger trend of more women joining Ukraine’s military in combat roles, a change made possible by the technological transformation of modern warfare, military officials say.

"The fact that technology lets us deliver ammunition without carrying it in our hands or running it to the front line-that’s incredible," said Monka, who serves in the Unmanned Systems Battalion of the Third Army Corps. She and other women followed Ukraine’s military protocol by identifying themselves using only their call signs.

More than 70,000 women served in Ukraine’s military in 2025, a 20% increase compared with 2022, including over 5,500 deployed directly on the front line, according to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.

Some units have tailored recruitment efforts toward women, expanding rosters in a sign that Ukraine is looking to strengthen and expand its army even as peace negotiations weigh a possible cap on the future size of the military.

中譯：

近4年前當俄羅斯發動全面入侵時，烏克蘭一個呼號為「蒙卡」的26歲女兵，曾認為自己在戰場上找不到適合的作戰角色。但隨著科技重塑戰爭樣貌並開啟新方向，情況隨之扭轉。

去年，蒙卡放棄了在海外擔任餐廳經理的工作，返回烏克蘭投身軍旅，成為一名短程第一人稱視角無人機的操作員。

烏克蘭軍方官員指出，她的轉變反映出一項更大的趨勢：隨著現代戰爭的科技轉型，愈來愈多女性得以進入烏克蘭軍隊的戰鬥職務。

蒙卡表示：「科技讓我們不必親手搬運彈藥、也不用衝到前線，就能完成打擊，這真的令人難以置信。」她目前隸屬於第3軍團的無人系統營。依照烏克蘭軍方規定，她與其他女性官兵僅以呼號作為身分識別。

根據烏克蘭國防部統計，2025年共有超過7萬名女性在軍中服役，較2022年成長約20%，其中逾5500人直接部署於前線作戰。

部分部隊已針對女性進行客製化招募，擴充編制，顯示即使和平談判可能限制未來軍隊規模，烏克蘭仍試圖強化並擴大軍事力量。