Women to take off as pilots for the Russian Air Force

Russia’s Air Force will soon be accepting women to train as fighter pilots — the first time since the Second World War, when they were known as “Stalin’s Falcons”.

According to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, the move to accept women comes after “hundred of letters” were sent to the military by aspiring female pilots.

The first cohort of women trainees will have 15 members, and will begin training in October at the military aviation academy in the southern city of Krasnodar. The TASS news agency notes that while the school has been accepting women since 2009, this will be the first time they will be allowed to enrol in pilot training.

Will this development herald a shift in the Russian military’s approach to women? Perhaps next International Women’s Day we won’t be seeing quite so many tulip-adorned tanks.

Source: BBC News