Sexual Violence in Ukraine: Survivors Share Their Stories of War's Scars
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sexual violence has become another weapon of the war. Survivors' accounts describe the humiliation, torture and betrayal experienced by Ukrainian women and men.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the war has been fought with more than weapons. Sexual violence has become another instrument of the conflict, and the scars it leaves can run deeper than those of bullet wounds. The Latvian news site TVNET has reported on the issue by publishing survivors' stories.
What the accounts reveal
The stories show that both Ukrainian women and men have experienced sexual violence during the war. They speak of humiliation, torture and betrayal. The publication asks what these people faced and what they had to endure.
Consequences beyond the front line
The war in Ukraine takes away people's homes, their safety and their lives, and for many it also devastates the body and the mind. The survivors' testimonies show that the consequences of the war reach beyond the battlefield, affecting civilians and others caught in the violence.
The source text available contains no specific figures on the number of victims, or details on locations or dates, so none are given here. The full survivor accounts can be read in the TVNET publication.
