Ukraine: Discrimination and hope drive LGBTQ+ soldiers

War veteran and open gay Viktor Pylypenko believes that up to 10% of Ukraine's soldiers are of the LGBTQ+ community© Yevhen Shylko/DW

"I've been open about my sexual orientation all my life," says Roman Abrashyn, a 25-year-old homosexual drone pilot in the Ukrainian army. After coming out at the age of 15, he was supported by friends, his parents and two brothers, one of whom now serves in the same unit.

Abrashyn enlisted in the Ukrainian armed forces in April 2024. Since then, he's hardly faced any prejudice or discrimination. When fellow soldiers found out about his sexual orientation, most of them reacted neutrally, he recalls. "There were no strange questions."

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