Weary but determined, women join Ukraine's fight against Russia in historic numbers

KOSTIANTYNIVKA, Ukraine — Sitting in the ruins of a bombed-out school close to the front lines in eastern Ukraine, Halyna Liutikova fills the overcast air with an infectious laugh.

Despite the setting, the 28-year-old remains cheerful — but admits that the exhaustion of two years of war is taking its toll.

“We are really tired,” said Liutikova, who is weighed down not just by the bulletproof vest beneath her camouflage gear, but also by the months of endless fighting to defend her country. “Because two years, it’s a lot.”

She’s not alone, in more ways than one.

Liutikova is among the historic number of women who have signed up to join the fight against Russia’s advancing forces as Ukraine works to bolster its beleaguered ranks.

Two of those female soldiers told NBC News on Tuesday that, like their male comrades, they were weary as the war approaches the two-year mark. Kyiv’s troops are under growing Russian pressure with little respite and now frustrated by a lack of support from the United States. But unlike their male comrades, they also said they were facing another challenge: sexism.