Russian Soldiers Attacking Ukrainian Women and Girls
The following article examines the war crimes committed by Russian soldiers against Ukrainian women and girls in the current war in Ukraine. In an effort to shed transparency concerning the atrocities of sexual violence against Ukrainian civilians, our students researched many stories of Ukrainian victims, many of whom were sexually assaulted, kidnapped, raped and murdered. We set up a section in our Ukraine Impact page called the Ukraine Art Project to also spread public awareness of missing Ukrainian women and girls. We commissioned paintings from a Thai artist named Ms. Pang Aoy. If you or anyone you know has knowledge on the whereabouts of the missing Ukrainian women or girls, or has information leading to the lawful identification, arrest and conviction of the Russian soldiers accused of war crimes, please immediately contact the National Police of Ukraine and the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP).
Russian Invasion of Ukraine
Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, February 24, 2022. After more than six (6) months into the war, Russia now holds much of southern and eastern Ukraine. On Saturday, July 2, 2022, Russian forces took control of the entire region of Luhansk, a city in eastern Ukraine. The region has become the key centerpiece of Russian President Vladimir Putin's military ambition because Luhansk was where the conflict between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists started in 2014. Russian troops have continued to shell Ukrainian positions across the southern regions of Zaporizhia, Ukraine’s sixth biggest city; Kherson, an important port on the Black Sea; Mykolaiv, a city near the Black Sea; and Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine's fourth-largest city (Ukraine war in maps: Tracking the Russian invasion). Russia’s military also targeted Ukraine’s western front in Odessa, Ukraine’s major seaport and transport hub. The Russian military cut off Ukraine's access to the Black Sea by missile attacks to control the supply routes to civilians. Instead of merely targeting military infrastructure, Russian forces continue systematic missile attacks on residential infrastructure, recreational facilities and educational institutions.
Russian Military Enforces Rape as a Weapon
Russian soldiers arrived at Bucha, a town approximately 18.64 miles (approximately 30 kilometers) northwest of Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, on Friday, March 4, 2022. During the five (5) weeks of Russian occupation in Bucha, Russian troops committed murders, torture and sexual violence against Ukrainian civilians, including women and girls. “About 25 girls and women aged 14 to 24 were systematically raped during the occupation in the basement of one house in Bucha. Nine of them are pregnant," Ukraine’s ombudswoman for human rights, Lyudmyla Denisova, told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News. "Russian soldiers told them they would rape them to the point where they wouldn’t want sexual contact with any man, to prevent them from having Ukrainian children" (Ukraine conflict: ‘Russian soldiers raped me and killed my husband’).
According to Denisova, there have been approximately 700 reports of Russian soldiers sexually assaulting Ukrainian civilians since Friday, April 1, 2022. These cases include gang rape, rape in front of children, and sexual violence following the killing of family members. Among the 700 reports, a 2-year-old Ukrainian girl was brutally raped by two (2) Russian soldiers and in another report, a 14-year-old Ukrainian girl became pregnant after being raped by five (5) Russian soldiers (Ukraine has accused Russian soldiers of using rape as a tool of war. These two women say justice is hard to come by). Russian troops are enforcing sexual violence and targeting underage girls as heinous weapons, which are paramount to war crimes.
A destroyed Russian tank on the road leading into the small village near Borodyanka, Ukraine, where Viktoriya lives. Original source: The New York Times; Wednesday, June 29, 2022. Painted by Pang Aoy, August 2022.
What is Conflict-Related Sexual Violence?
Conflict-related sexual violence is defined by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General as rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilization, forced marriage and any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity perpetrated against women, men, girls, or boys that is directly or indirectly linked to a conflict (Conflict-related Sexual Violence Peacekeeping). The four (4) Geneva Conventions convict sexual violence as serious violations of humanitarian law in both international and internal conflicts (Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols). However, the Russian military is still committing sexual violence to completely demoralize Ukrainian civilians and to save on the cost of using conventional military weapons, such as guns, bullets and missiles. Consequently, the Russian soldiers continue to sexually assault Ukrainian women and girls because soldiers can easily intimidate and physically hurt these civilians. Moreover, sexual violence during wartimes is often withheld from local Ukrainian authorities because many victims of sexual violence remain quiet out of fear of retribution from Russian soldiers. Many victims also feel painful stigma and shame.
Murdered Ukrainian woman Karina Yershova. The remains of Karina Yershova were discovered in a mass grave in Bucha, Ukraine, after she was raped, tortured and murdered by Russian troops. According to the local Ukrainian police, when Karina’s body was found, the skin of her hand was scorched, her bones were revealed and nine of her fingernails had been torn off. Painted by Pang Aoy, August 2022.
Russia Rejects Involvement in War Crimes
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council on Thursday, April 7, 2022, for Russia’s violations and abuses of human rights. However, Russia repeatedly rejected claims that the country killed or even harmed Ukrainian civilians (U.N. members vote to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council). The BBC has received first-hand testimony and evidence of Ukrainian women being raped by Russian soldiers. "At gunpoint, he took me to a house nearby. He ordered me: ‘Take your clothes off or I’ll shoot you.’ He kept threatening to kill me if I didn’t do as he said. Then he started raping me," Anna, a victim of sexual violence reported to BBC (Ukraine conflict: ‘Russian soldiers raped me and killed my husband’). Videos and images of tortured, naked Ukrainian women and dead bodies lying on the streets are also posted on social media.
Ukrainian Women and Children Need Help
The Ukrainian people have severely suffered because of Russia’s invasion. However, women and girls are especially impacted as reports of sexual violence and abuse continue to increase. Destruction to medical facilities, as well as a lack of service providers and supplies, have severely limited the delivery of essential health services across Ukraine. Supply trains have been cut off on land and at sea by Russian forces. For example, survivors of gender-based violence, along with approximately 265,000 pregnant Ukrainian women, have been especially hurt by the lack of access to medical treatment, including maternal care (Ukraine: Conflict compounds the vulnerabilities of women and girls as humanitarian needs spiral). Ukrainian hospitals are in urgent need of emergency contraceptives (Rush to get emergency contraception into Ukraine as reports of rape rise). Since the Russian military has purposely cut off supply trains to Ukrainian civilians, many victims of sexual assault cannot access urgent medical supplies to treat their injuries due to rape.
Please help by spreading awareness of the violence against Ukrainian women and children. Our students have also organized a fundraiser on our Ukraine Impact page for Ukrainian refugee children, many of whom are now orphans because of the war. Donation proceeds will be sent directly to the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), which is working hard to provide essential health and sanitation services to refugee children.
References
“Conflict-related Sexual Violence Peacekeeping.” United Nations, 2022, https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/conflict-related-sexual-violence, Accessed 13 July 2022.
“Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols.” Cornell Law School, 2022, https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/geneva_conventions_and_their_additional_protocols#:~:text=It%20specifically%20prohibits%20murder%2C%20mutilation,the%20parties%20to%20the%20conflict, Accessed 13 July 2022.
“Rape has reportedly become a weapon in Ukraine. Finding justice may be difficult.” NPR, Laurel Wamsley, 30 April 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/04/30/1093339262/ukraine-russia-rape-war-crimes, Accessed 12 July 2022.
“Rush to get emergency contraception into Ukraine as reports of rape rise.” The Guardian, Weronika Strzyzynska and Isobel Koshiw, 28 April 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/apr/28/russia-ukraine-emergency-contraception-amid-rape-reports, Accessed 14 July 2022.
“Ukraine: Conflict compounds the vulnerabilities of women and girls as humanitarian needs spiral.” United Nations Population Fund, 2022, https://www.unfpa.org/ukraine-war, Accessed 14 July 2022.
“Ukraine conflict: ‘Russian soldiers raped me and killed my husband.’” BBC News, Yogita Limaye, 11 April 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61071243, Accessed 11 July 2022.
“Ukraine has accused Russian soldiers of using rape as a tool of war. These two women say justice is hard to come by.” CNN, Sara Sidner, Sandi Sidhu, and Kostyantyn Gak, 9 May 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/09/europe/ukraine-russian-soldiers-brovary-rape-victims/index.html, Accessed 16 July 2022.
“Ukraine war in maps: Tracking the Russian invasion after six months.” BBC News, 22 August 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60506682, Accessed 30 August 2022.
“U.N. members vote to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council.” NPR, Bill Chappell, 7 April 2022, https://www.npr.org/2022/04/07/1091444124/un-general-assembly-russia-human-rights-council, Accessed 13 July 2022.
Mary, high school class of 2023, enjoys learning about gender studies and art history. In her free time she enjoys volunteering with children, feeding the homeless and playing golf. She often sacrifices her own time to give back to her communities. Sustainability issues, such ending poverty, fighter hunger and promoting gender equity, are all very important to her. Thus, Mary plans on studying at a college that promotes human rights, especially for marginalized groups that need more social and political support.