Falsehood in the War in Ukraine: the Legend of Women Snipers

Abstract

Since the beginning of the armed conflict in Eastern Ukraine, both sides have claimed that enemy women snipers have been arrested. These claims echo strangely what happened in Chechnya – where rumours about women snipers fighting against Russian troops loomed large and served as a justification for violence against women. This research note seeks to explore the different aspects of this legend in Eastern Ukraine, and reviews the differences and parallels that can be drawn with Chechnya.