Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin condemned the “dramatic increase” in the sexual violence of Russian soldiers. “As a result of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, all genders and age groups are affected. It concerns children and the elderly alike,” Kostin clarified for the Funke media group and the French newspaper Ouest-France on Monday. According to him, Russian soldiers are using sexual violence in a targeted way: a method of warfare to humiliate Ukrainians.
According to the German news site RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland, the attorney general said, “Four months ago only forty cases of sexual violence were recorded, but now there are more than 110 cases.”
There are also a large number of unreported cases, according to Kostin. “In many cases, people are raped, tortured and then killed by Russian soldiers. “Rape often happens in front of relatives and children,” he said. Moreover, Russian commanders often order or at least encourage rape. Occupied areas are particularly affected.
However, the German press agency DPA cautions that the information provided by the Attorney General cannot be verified from independent sources.
Wenzel Michalski, the German director of the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, also spoke about systematic violence. “The persecution of civilians is part of the Russian soldiers’ war tactics in Ukraine,” Funke told the media group. “Violence by soldiers, including rape, goes unpunished by top Russian politicians and the military. On the contrary, forces that act particularly brutally are appreciated,” he said.
Will everyone be punished for war crimes?
According to the United Nations, Russia’s eight-month war in Ukraine has already displaced 14 million people. And continued attacks by Russian forces are raising fears that the number of people fleeing their homes during the winter months will increase. In light of similar reports, the debate about who and when to be held responsible for war damages and even war crimes is rekindling. How far have the efforts to catch the perpetrators progressed so far? Seznam Zprávy spoke to international law expert Veronika Bílková about this.
According to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, about 8,500 civilians, including 440 children, have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war. More than 11,000 civilians were injured, and the Attorney General’s Office has handled more than 50,197 war crimes cases so far.
Source: Seznam Zpravy
I am Joel Fitzgerald, a news website author for The News Dept. I have worked in the media and journalism industry for over 10 years and specialize in world news. My articles have been featured in prominent publications such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, where I am an expert contributor on global affairs.
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