Current:Home > NewsRussians committing rape, 'widespread' torture against Ukrainians, UN report finds -GrowthInsight
Russians committing rape, 'widespread' torture against Ukrainians, UN report finds
Algosensey Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-05 23:24:34
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! (46378)
Related
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Eagles vs. 49ers final score, highlights: San Francisco drubs Philadelphia
- Authorities say heavy rains and landslides in Tanzania kill at least 47 and hurt or strand many more
- Analysis: Emirati oil CEO leading UN COP28 climate summit lashes out as talks enter toughest stage
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Takeaways from The AP’s investigation into the Mormon church’s handling of sex abuse cases
- Israel orders mass evacuations as it widens offensive; Palestinians are running out of places to go
- Shooting at home in Washington state kills 5 including the suspected shooter, report says
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- Former US ambassador arrested in Florida, accused of serving as an agent of Cuba, AP source says
Ranking
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- British research ship crosses paths with world’s largest iceberg as it drifts out of Antarctica
- Michigan takes over No. 1 spot in US LBM Coaches Poll after Georgia's loss
- Israel-Hamas war combat resumes in Gaza as Israelis accuse the Palestinian group of violating cease-fire
- Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
- Former career US diplomat charged with secretly spying for Cuban intelligence for decades
- Police charge director of Miss Nicaragua pageant with running 'beauty queen coup' plot
- Rogue ATV, dirt bikers terrorize communities, vex police across US
Recommendation
Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
Ted Koppel on the complicated legacy of Henry Kissinger
Plan to add teaching of Holocaust, genocide to science education draws questions from Maine teachers
'SNL' sends off George Santos with song, Tina Fey welcomes Emma Stone into Five-Timers Club
Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
Magnitude 5.1 earthquake shakes northwest Turkey. No damage or injuries reported
In some Czech villages, St Nicholas leads a parade with the devil and grim reaper in tow
This World Soil Day, take a look at the surprising science of soil