Russian Soldier Accused Of Rape And Sexual Violence Against Ukrainian Women And Children

Illustration of a United Nations Security Council meeting. (Wikimedia Commons/UNSomalia)

JAKARTA - Senior United Nations (UN) officials say they are hearing more and more reports of rape and sexual violence in Ukraine.

He told the UN Security Council on Monday, when a Ukrainian human rights group accused Russian troops of using rape as a weapon of war.

Kateryna Cherepakha, president of La Strada-Ukraine, said her organization's emergency hotline had received a call accusing Russian soldiers of nine cases of rape, involving 12 women and girls.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg," she told the council via video.

"We know and see, and we want you to hear our voices, that violence and rape are now being used as weapons of war by the Russian occupiers in Ukraine."

Russia has repeatedly denied attacking civilians, as the invasion of what it calls a special military operation in Ukraine began on February 24.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said last week that UN human rights monitors were trying to verify allegations of sexual assault by Russian troops, including gang rape and rape in front of children. These include allegations of sexual assault by Ukrainian forces as well as civil defense militias.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya told the Security Council the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office "launched a special mechanism for documenting cases of sexual violence by Russian soldiers against Ukrainian women."

The Ukrainian mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the allegations against Ukrainian troops.

Meanwhile, Russia, through its diplomatic officials at the United Nations, answered these accusations before the UN Security Council.

"Russia, as we have stated more than once, is not at war against the civilian population," Russia's Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Dmitry Polyanskiy told the Security Council on Monday.

He also accused Ukraine and its allies of "having clear intentions to present Russian soldiers as rapists and sadists.

Meanwhile, UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous said all allegations should be investigated independently, to ensure fairness and accountability.

"We are hearing more and more about rape and sexual assault," he told the council.

"The combination of the mass displacement with the resulting massive pressure from conscripts and mercenaries, with the brutality displayed against Ukrainian civilians has raised all red flags," he said.

It is known that all parties to the Ukraine war had a conscription system, in which youths were required by law to perform military service. In addition, Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of using mercenaries.