British Ambassador to Ukraine warns 'Rape is a weapon of war, part of Russia's arsenal'

This article contains details and depictions of rape war crimes that may be distressing.

Russian troops have allegedly been committing rape crimes against Ukrainian women as an ‘instrument of war’ and in recent week, “several cases” of violent sexual acts have emerged since Russia’s President Vladimir Putin ordered an all-out military invasion in Kyiv. While millions of civilians have taken shelter in neighbouring EU nations to flee war atrocities, women and young girls in Ukrainian cities are being subjected to horrifying acts of sexual violence by invading Russian soldiers, as is being claimed by Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Ukrainian MP Maria Mezentseva.

Ukrainian ministers have cited several incidents where Russian soldiers have raped and later killed victims as brutal armed conflict ensues on Ukrainian soil. Many such cases have t yet been revealed to public by rape victims, Maria Mezentseva said in a TV interview, referencing a singled out case in Brovary, an eastern suburb of Kyiv.

On Saturday, British Ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons warned that Russian soldiers are committing rapes as ‘a weapon of war'. While extent of use of such sexual crimes in war-torn Ukraine isn’t fully understood, “it’s already clear it is being used as a part of arsenal,” Simmons warned.

“Women [are] raped in front of ir kids, girls in front of ir families, as a deliberate act of subjugation,” she said in a disturbing claim. “Rape is a war crime,” British Ambassador to Ukraine said. 

As cases of rape by Russian soldiers and increased sexual violence against women came to light recently, UK Foreign Office minister Vicky Ford told MPs during an urgent question in Commons that UK has involved international partners to strengn response to tackling sexual violence in conflict and “all options are on table”. Labour Party called for a tribunal on reports of sexual violence by Russian troops. 

“We are working through ICC [International Criminal Court] because we believe that that is best way to take people to court for war crimes. Setting up a new body could take many years and as I said, we have seen from experience in Democratic Republic of Congo that ICC can be effective in holding people to account,” said Ford. 

Credit: Associated Press/Vadim Ghirda

UK 'horrified' by cases of rape by Russian armed forces: Foreign Office Minister 

UK Foreign Office has emphasised that it w becomes increasingly “important” to gar all evidence, adding that a new convention is needed or a new international agreement Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative to have  victims raped by invading soldiers to speak. legal body will support survivors, document crimes, and prosecute perpetrator soldiers in coordination with local courts. UK is “horrified” by cases of sexual violence and rape by Russian armed forces, said a British Foreign Office minister. “We have been clear that Russia’s barbaric acts must be investigated and those responsible be held to account,” she told MPs in Commons. 

“Sadly, rape in war is t new and before war started in Ukraine, foreign secretary committed UK to do more to tackle sexual violence in conflict, including – but t limited to – its use as a method of warfare,” said UK Foreign Office minister.

UK will do “all we can to bring perpetrators of war crimes, including sexual violence, to justice.”

A Ukrainian soldier looks at a damd bridge in Bucha, on outskirts of Kyiv. Credit: Associated Press

Among horrifying documented rape war crimes in Ukraine, as confirmed by Kherson resident Svetlana Zorina in televised accounts, a woman was brutally raped and killed by a Russian soldier. “Russian soldiers shot her husband dead before repeatedly raping her as her mir-d young son sobbed,” documented account revealed. Ukraine’s MP Maria Mezentseva in a televised interview confirmed that Russian soldiers have been raping and sexually assaulting women since invasion. 

“re is one case which was very widely discussed recently because it’s been recorded and proceeded with (by) prosecutor’s office, and we’re t going into details, but it’s quite a scary scene when a civilian was shot dead in his house in a small town next to Kyiv,” Mezentseva told Sky News. “His wife was — I’m sorry but I have to say it — raped several times in front of her under child.” Public record because “justice has to prevail,” she added, describing scenes of violence against Ukrainian women as “scary” and “horror striking.”

“re are many more victims rar than just this one case which has been made public by prosecutor general,” said Ukraine MP Maria Mezentseva. “And of course, we are expecting many more of m, which will be public once victims will be ready to talk about that.”

Credit: Associated Press

In Ukraine’s embattled sourn city of Mariupol,  most heavily bombarded region by invading Russian troops, a woman who was brutally raped by soldiers had died. Ukraine’s defence ministry anunced news of woman’s death on Twitter, and account was verified by Polish journal niezalezna.pl. “This is t a horror movie. Rape, violence, murder - such is meaning of Russian peace,” Ukrainian defence ministry wrote in post. 

Horrifying scenes from Mariupol, or cities 

Following Ukraine Defence Ministry’s updates on rape crimes against women, European Union Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson said that “scary scenes from Mariupol and or cities” make it obvious that Ukrainians “are suffering from trauma.” Delivering an address before EU’s European Committee of Regions, an advisory body comprising government officials from all 27 member states of bloc, Johansson said that “Russian troops are systematically raping women, often in front of children.” She called atrocities, destruction, and crimes wreaked inside Ukraine as “biggest crisis since Second World War.”

In 2008, UN Security Council had outlined a warning in a resolution that women and girls “were particularly targeted by troops by use of sexual violence in wars as a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate [and] instill fear.”

A Kherson woman Svetlana Zorina who spoke in a televised interview with American broadcaster CNN, told journalist ra Neus: "We are scared.” Narrating rapes committed by Russian troops during ir fierce invasion, she said, “y already started to rape our women. re was information from people who I personally kw, that a 17-year-old girl, it's happened to her and n y killed her.” "So we are terrified and scared but we are t going to give up,” she said. 

In an event organised by London's Chatham House think tank, Ukraine Foreign Minister Kuleba ted atrocities faced by civilians, particularly women, as he said, "When bombs fall on your cities, when soldiers rape women in occupied cites.” Continuing furr, he questioned international laws. “We have numerous cases of, unfortunately, when Russian soldiers rape women in Ukrainian cities, it's difficult, of course, to speak about efficiency of international law.”

In a social media post earlier this week, Ukraine’s prosecutor general Iryna Venediktova stated that it was investigating reports of rapes as for first time a rape charge has been brought against a Russian soldier by a survivor. Although, prosecutor general did t divulge or details or evidence gared. She informed that Ukraine’s prosecutor general office last week, in coordination with  Ukrainian authorities, have identified Russian soldiers who killed a 33-year-old woman's husband on morning of March 9 and invaded her home, despite fact that a white sheet was hanging outside to indicate re were military targets.

two allegedly drunk soldiers gunned down  family’s dog and threatened to shoot  son. “I heard a single shot, sounds of gate opening, and n sound of footsteps in house,” woman identified only as Natalya told  Times. n I looked outside and I saw him on ground by gate. This younger guy pulled a gun to my head and said: ‘I shot your husband because he’s a Nazi.’” soldiers later advanced on woman, armed, asking if y shall "kill her or keep her alive?’” as y brutally raped her. 

two soldiers were identified by Ukrainian authorities, and a warrant was out for ir arrest, said Venediktova in an update. “We will find every villain and make him answer to fullest extent of law,” she wrote on Facebook.

In response to reports, Lesia Vasylenko, a Ukrainian MP took to her Twitter handle to deride Russian soldiers. “Two million people were raped in Germany by Russians during World War Two. Russia again is using rape as an instrument of war. This time in Ukraine. History repeats itself,” she said. 

Im: AP