Russian soldiers raped a sixyearold girl in front of her mother: This is one of 230 known cases of sexual violence by Russian soldiers during the war in Ukraine
Like the Israeli women raped by Hamas on October 7, Ukrainian women are struggling with the trauma of brutal sexual assaults at the hands of Russian soldiers.
After sexual assaults by Russian troops, survivors in Ukraine are beginning to testify about the horrific abuse they suffered and demand justice.
As hundreds of people tell their stories, investigators are working to examine whether soldiers used sexual violence strategically.
A report in the Chron on December 10 featured the lurid accounts of some of these women. One of them, Nataliya, recounts how she was tied to the bed at gunpoint after struggling to protect her sixyearold daughter, who was also eventually raped by the Russian soldier.
In Kharkiv, a mother was raped for hours by a Russian officer in an abandoned classroom while her teenage son was forced to watch.
These heinous acts follow a disturbing pattern that includes rape in front of family members, causing psychological harm to victims and their families. The goal is to instill fear and trauma in future generations.
Although Ukraine's prosecutor's office acknowledges 230 reported cases of sexual violence by Russian soldiers, experts believe the actual number is significantly higher due to underreporting.
Ukrainian prosecutors are now working with psychologists to encourage more survivors to tell their experiences.
According to the Chron report that brought the reports to light, “the horrors these Ukrainian women endured are not rare.” Instead, they are part of a pattern of systematic sexual violence perpetrated by Russian soldiers since the start of the fullscale invasion 21 months.”
He messed with one, he messed with everyone, “except if someone is Jewish.”