Current:Home > StocksRussians committing rape, 'widespread' torture against Ukrainians, UN report finds -Keystone Wealth Vision
Russians committing rape, 'widespread' torture against Ukrainians, UN report finds
View
Date:2025-04-17 00:07:03
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! (6167)
Related
- Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
- Ben Affleck and His Son Samuel, 12, Enjoy a Rare Night Out Together
- 24 more monkeys that escaped from a South Carolina lab are recovered unharmed
- Miami Marlins hiring Los Angeles Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough as manager
- Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
- A growing and aging population is forcing Texas counties to seek state EMS funding
- Diddy's ex-bodyguard sues rape accuser for defamation over claims of 2001 assault
- Will Trump curb transgender rights? After election, community prepares for worst
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Bo the police K-9, who located child taken at knifepoint, wins Hero Dog Awards 2024
Ranking
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- Bradley Cooper and Gigi Hadid Enjoy a Broadway Date Night and All that Jazz
- Ben Affleck and His Son Samuel, 12, Enjoy a Rare Night Out Together
- Kirk Herbstreit berates LSU fans throwing trash vs Alabama: 'Enough is enough, clowns'
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Arizona Supreme Court declines emergency request to extend ballot ‘curing’ deadline
- Pistons' Ausar Thompson cleared to play after missing 8 months with blood clot
- Lala Kent Swears by This Virgo-Approved Accessory and Shares Why Stassi Schroeder Inspires Her Fall Style
Recommendation
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
Jennifer Garner and Boyfriend John Miller Are All Smiles In Rare Public Outing
'Yellowstone's powerful opening: What happened to Kevin Costner's John Dutton?
The Army’s answer to a lack of recruits is a prep course to boost low scores. It’s working
IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
Are Ciara Ready and Russell Wilson Ready For Another Baby? She Says…
Maine dams face an uncertain future
Kirk Herbstreit berates LSU fans throwing trash vs Alabama: 'Enough is enough, clowns'