Russia uses sexual violence as a weapon in Ukraine war: Official

KYIV, Ukraine - Russia has used rape and sexual assault as a weapon against the people of Ukraine in the areas they have occupied, said a Ukrainian human rights official earlier this month, adding that the assaults have not been exclusive to women but also included men and children as well.

Lyudmyla Denisova, the commissioner for human rights in the Ukrainian parliament, addressed the large-scale sexual violence being committed against Ukrainians by Russian troops since the start of the war, recounting horrific stories that befell the country’s women, men, and children.

Denisova claimed that their help hotlines have received around 37,000 calls since the start of the war from people seeking emotional support, adding that around 30 percent of the callers have suicidal or self-harm tendencies.

“A fifth of the callers, which is around 200 calls per day, after sending them to psychiatrists, we confirm that they have been sexually assaulted by Russian soldiers,” Denisova told Rudaw earlier this month, adding that in addition to the female survivors of sexual violence, there are many reported cases of pregnant women, men, and minors being raped by Russian troops.

The commissioner stated that the perpetrators of the sexual assaults often wear masks, covering every part of their face apart from their eyes, while other soldiers forcefully gather people to witness the assault, telling them “this is the fate of all Nazi prostitutes.”

Denisova recounted the story of an 11-year-old boy in Bucha who was the victim of continuous sexual violence for ten hours, while his mother was forced to watch.

“After one month of effort from psychiatrists, the boy was able to speak again… in cases like this there are two victims: the son and the mother,” she said, adding that the mother has asked for the story to be shared so that the entire world can truly understand their hardships.

The commissioner shared the story of a mother and her 15-year-old daughter who died after being raped continuously for days in their basement. The woman’s other daughter, 17, was left untouched according to Denisova, as the soldiers told her that she was “ugly” and “can only watch and tell the people what we do to your prostitutes.”

There is no comprehensive and verified data regarding the number of acts of sexual violence committed in the Ukraine war.  

“It’s hard for women and girls to report [rape] because of stigma amongst other reasons, but it’s often even harder for men and boys to report … we have to create that safe space for all victims to report cases of sexual violence,” The Guardian cited Pramila Patten, United Nations special representative on sexual violence in war, as saying earlier this month.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an invasion on Ukraine on February 24, sparking widespread international condemnation. More than eight million have been displaced in Ukraine since the start of the war, and over 6.5 million have fled to international borders for safety, according to United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM)