Soviet Women in Combat

The scale of the German invasion led the Soviet Union to mobilise women in both support and direct combat roles. Women served throughout the armed forces, although their experiences were often simplified or marginalised after the war.

Female snipers received particular attention because marksmanship combined battlefield effectiveness with propaganda value. Their service involved the same exposure to bombardment, injury and loss as male combat units.

The Diamond Eye centres on Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a real Red Army sniper whose wartime record made her an international symbol.