Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin has denounced the «drastic increase» in the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in the country by Russian soldiers.
Kostin has accused the Russian military of deliberately using sexual violence as a weapon of war «to humiliate Ukrainians,» as reported by the dpa agency.
«In many cases, people are raped, tortured and then killed by Russian soldiers. Often the rapes take place in front of family members and children,» explained the prosecutor general who detailed that «all genders and age groups are affected.»
The chief prosecutor added that Russian commanders often order or support such rapes, reports dpa.
Wenzel Michalski, director of Human Rights Watch for Germany, has pointed out that this is a systematic approach in the framework of the violence that has been going on since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.
«Violent acts committed by soldiers, including rapes, are not punished by the Russian political leadership and military. On the contrary, forces acting with particular brutality continue to be honored,» Michalski explained.
