The photos released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, in which young female soldiers practiced for a parade dressed in camouflage but with heels, have become a real case.
Kiev is organizing a parade for August 24, to celebrate 30 years of independence after the breakup of the USSR, and the government has distributed the images of the evidence, sparking a hive of controversy. Among the photos were a few that showed the soldiers marching in compact ranks, with black mid-heeled shoes. On the ministry’s website, cadet Ivanna Medvid commented: “Today, for the first time, training takes place with heels. It is slightly more difficult than army boots, but we are trying.”
At the Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament, deputies close to former President Petro Poroshenko have argued by bringing to Defense Minister Andriy Taran women’s shoes and encouraging him to wear high heels for the parade. “It’s hard to imagine a more idiotic and damaging idea,” said Inna Sovsun, a member of the Golos party, pointing to the health risks. According to the deputy, Ukrainian female soldiers – like men – are risking their lives and “do not deserve to be mortified”. Olena Kondratyuk, vice president of the Rada, asked the authorities to publicly apologize for having “humiliated” the women and proposed an investigation.
Ukraine is engaged in confrontation in the country’s industrial east with Russian-backed separatists, in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014. According to Kondratyuk, more than 13,500 women have fought in this war.