Alena, an employee of an aesthetics center in Saratov, said on Instagram that she had been called into the HR department and instructed to report to the military enlistment office, undergo a medical examination, and register for military service. She was told that she would not be allowed to continue working without a military ID.
Publishing is one of six specialties that require military registration even for women. The list also includes computer technology, optical and acoustic measuring systems, meteorology, medicine, and cartography.
The website of Saratov State University notes that women with university degrees in publishing are not required to register with the military enlistment office. However, Alena’s specialty code indicates that she graduated from a college rather than a university. Graduates of such institutions are placed in the military reserve.
In 2026, female students at eight Russian universities and colleges were encouraged to join drone units. Five students from a college in Ulyanovsk agreed to do so.