Current:Home > MyRussians committing rape, 'widespread' torture against Ukrainians, UN report finds -Streamline Finance
Russians committing rape, 'widespread' torture against Ukrainians, UN report finds
View
Date:2025-04-12 18:45:59
Russian forces are allegedly committing continuous war crimes in Ukraine, including rape and "widespread and systematic" torture, the latest Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine found.
The Russians are allegedly torturing people accused of being Ukrainian army informants in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, and in one case, the torture was so extreme that it caused a victim's death, the commission said in its latest report to the U.N. Human Rights Council on Monday.
MORE: It's a kayak with a grenade launcher. And it could be game-changer in Ukraine.
One torture survivor said, "Every time I answered that I didn't know or didn't remember something, they gave me electric shocks," according to the commission.
MORE: Bucha survivors recount 'senseless' horror as they emerge from hiding
"Well into the second year of the armed conflict, people in Ukraine have been continuing to cope with the loss and injury of loved ones, large-scale destruction, suffering and trauma as well as economic hardship that have resulted from it," Eric Mose, chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, wrote in the report. "Thousands have been killed and injured, and millions remain internally displaced or out of the country."
In the Kherson region, members of the Russian forces allegedly sexually assaulted women as their relatives were forced to listen from nearby rooms, the commission said. Sexual assault victims ranged in age from 19 to 83.
The commission also found evidence of "unlawful attacks with explosive weapons," including attacks on residential buildings, shops, a restaurant and a medical facility.
Konstantin Yefremov, a senior Russian army lieutenant who fled Russia, told ABC News in February he witnessed his country's troops torture prisoners in Ukraine, including beating and threats to rape.
Yefremov, 33, spent three months as an officer in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region and said he personally witnessed the torture of Ukrainian prisoners during interrogations, including the shooting of one POW in the arms and legs and threats of rape.
The commission stressed "the need for accountability" for Russia's "scale and gravity of violations," as well as "the need for the Ukrainian authorities to expeditiously and thoroughly investigate the few cases of violations by its own forces."
ABC News' Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.
veryGood! (3261)
Related
- Illinois governor calls for resignation of sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Black woman in her home
- Powerball winning numbers for September 23: Did anyone win $208 million jackpot?
- Major movie theater chains unveil $2.2 billion plan to improve 'cinematic experience'
- Texas set to execute Travis James Mullis for the murder of his infant son. What to know.
- Mega Millions winning numbers for August 6 drawing: Jackpot climbs to $398 million
- This Viral Pumpkin Dutch Oven Is on Sale -- Shop These Deals From Staub, Le Creuset & More
- Mississippi’s Republican governor pushes income-tax cut, says critics rely on ‘myths’
- Election 2024 Latest: Trump makes first campaign stop in Georgia since feud with Kemp ended
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- Ohio sheriff deletes online post about Harris supporters and their yard signs after upset
Ranking
- Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
- Johnny Cash becomes first musician honored with statue inside US Capitol
- Survivors of sex abuse at Illinois juvenile detention facilities hope for justice
- Longshoremen from Maine to Texas appear likely to go on strike, seaport CEO says
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Sean “Diddy” Combs Moved Into Same Jail Housing Unit as Disgraced Exec Sam Bankman-Fried
- Judge Judy's Nighttime Activity With Husband Jerry Sheindlin Is Very on Brand
- Netflix's 'Mr. McMahon': What to know and how to watch series about Vince McMahon
Recommendation
From bitter rivals to Olympic teammates, how Lebron and Steph Curry became friends
Man who staked out Trump at Florida golf course charged with attempting an assassination
Johnny Depp Addresses Media Frenzy over His and Amber Heard's Legal Battle
Tropical Weather Latest: Tropical Storm Helene forms in Caribbean, Tropical Storm John weakens
NCAA President Charlie Baker would be 'shocked' if women's tournament revenue units isn't passed
A's owner John Fisher's letter sparks inspired news anchor response
Two roommates. A communal bathroom. Why are college dorm costs so high?
Inmate who was beaten in back of patrol car in Arkansas has filed federal lawsuit