Women and children are also victims amid the war in Ukraine

Women and children are also victims amid the war in Ukraine

여성과 어린이도 우크라이나 전쟁의 희생자입니다

The Daily Digest

thedailydigest.com 의 이야기

23/03/2025

 

 

A painful anniversary

It's been over three years since Vladimir Putin launched his 'special military operation' against the Ukrainian people. Since then, millions have suffered, and we're not only talking of the men fighting in the front.

 

아픈 기념일

블라디미르 푸틴이 우크라이나 국민을 상대로 '특별 군사 작전'을 시작한 지 3년이 넘었다. 그 이후로 수백만 명이 고통을 겪었고, 우리는 전선에서 싸우는 사람들만을 이야기하는 것이 아닙니다.

 

 

War brings out the worst in us

It's no secret that war unleashes some of the worst traits of humankind. Arguably, there is no better and most visible current example than the Kremlin's actions in Ukrainian territory.

 

Abuse and war crimes©Provided by The Daily Digest

It's unsurprising that various crimes occur during war, especially in a brutal conflict like the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, multiple human rights organizations have accused Moscow of committing some of the most egregious abuses in the occupied territories.

 

'Friendly treatment'©Provided by The Daily Digest

CNN reports that the Kremlin has exported into Ukraine the same “friendly treatment” Russian police and the military uses to handle political dissidents and detained protestors.

 

The war outside the battlefield©Provided by The Daily Digest

One of their victims is Roman Shapovenko, who told CNN that three masked members of Russia’s Federal Security Service stormed into his home in the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. He was tied up, blindfolded, and stuffed into a car.

 

Army of darkness©Provided by The Daily Digest

Shapovenko describes how the Russians waved batons, threaten him to shove them where the sun doesn’t shine, and their torture practices would focus on his most intimate body parts. His crime? Calling the invaders “orcs” in a text message, a reference to the evil army from J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’.

 

No distinction between soldiers and civilians©Provided by The Daily Digest

The worst kind of violence, torture, and abuse is becoming increasingly common by the hand of Russian soldiers against Ukrainians, without distinction between soldiers and civilians.

 

The UN steps in©Provided by The Daily Digest

Back in September 2023, an independent commission told the United Nations Human Rights Council that it had documented cases involving torture, physical abuse, and s e x u a l violence.

 

Violence against women©Provided by The Daily Digest

The commission reported to the United Nations that Russian troops had abused women from ages 19 to 83, generally with family members in adjoining rooms so they could hear everything that was taking place.

 

The most henious crime©Provided by The Daily Digest

This doesn’t touch cases of abuse against minors during the conflict between Moscow and Kyiv, which there’s little to no data about.

 

Unwritten policy©Provided by The Daily Digest

More troubling, the constant presence of abuse and torture seems to indicate that these aren’t isolated incidents, but part of an unwritten policy from part of the Russian military and law enforcement agencies.

 

'Deliberate tactic'©Provided by The Daily Digest

UN official Pramila Patten told Agence France-Presse that Russian troops were supplied with Viagra to “use” against the Ukrainian populace to dehumanize them, as part of a “deliberate tactic”.

 

Over 200 alleged cases©Provided by The Daily Digest

Canada’s CBC informed that the Ukrainian justice system had collected at least 200 cases of s e x u a l abuse allegedly done by Russian troops between February 2022 and March 2024.

 

The case against the Kremlin©Provided by The Daily Digest

The Ukrainian justice system is hoping to gather some of these stories to present a case against Moscow in the International Criminal Court.

 

The aftermath©Provided by The Daily Digest

However, even after the abuses manage to stop, the consequences of abuse and torture remain within their victims for a long time.

 

War scars©Provided by The Daily Digest

Back in April, The New York Times reported that the Ukrainian populace was started to see the long-lasting psychological scars related to the war.

 

The long way back to normal©Provided by The Daily Digest

At the time, some 3,000 Ukrainian prisoners of war had been released from Russian captivity through exchanges with Moscow. However, they were having a hard time dealing with their horrific experience.

 

No end in sight©Provided by The Daily Digest

Currently, the Ukrainian government’s rehabilitation program consists of two months in a mental hospital and one month resting at home. However, for many people that is not enough, particularly in a war that has no end in sight.