WORLD

In newly liberated villages, Ukrainian investigators uncover horrific claims of Russian sexual violence

Nov 3, 2022, 5:00 AM

An abandoned car in a southern Ukrainian village formerly occupied by Russian forces is marked with...

An abandoned car in a southern Ukrainian village formerly occupied by Russian forces is marked with the letter 'Z'. Photo credit: Mick Krever/CNN

(CNN) — Day after day, in town after town, a police officer and prosecutor go door to door in Ukraine’s Kherson region.

Treading muddy streets, past homes damaged by artillery strikes, they look for those left behind. The two men form a specialist unit that’s traveled from the capital, Kyiv.

A mother and daughter come out to their yard. “We are looking for sexual crimes,” the prosecutor, Oleksandr Kleshchenko, says.

Until early October, this area of the country was occupied by Russian troops. Burnt-out cars litter the fields. The letter ‘Z’ — a symbol used by Russian forces — marks the walls.

The scars of war run deep here. Russia has used sexual violence as a “weapon of war” — a deliberate “military strategy” — in its conquest of Ukraine, United Nations investigators have said. They have even relayed allegations of Russian soldiers carrying Viagra.

Russian authorities have denied accusations of war crimes in Ukraine.

In two weeks of work in the Kherson region, the team from Kyiv has documented six allegations of sexual assault. The real number is almost certainly much higher, they say.

Tatiana, age 56, says she is one of the victims. CNN is withholding her last name and that of her village to protect her identity.

Walking over broken glass, she shows us into her brother’s house, where she says two Russian soldiers forced their way through her door on August 26.

“They walked around those rooms,” she says. “One stayed there, and the other one, who raped me, came in here. He came in, walked a little bit around the room and here in this place, he started groping me.”

“I told him, ‘No, no, I am not of the age that I can give you something, look for younger girls.'”

He pinned her against the wardrobe, she says, and tore at her clothes. “I was crying, begging him to stop, but with no success,” she says. “The only thought I had was to stay alive.”

He warned her not to tell anyone, she recalls. “I didn’t tell my husband right away,” she says, in tears. “But I told my cousin, and my husband overheard. He said, ‘You should have told me the truth, but you kept silent.'”

“I was very ashamed,” she says. “I wish that he and all his kin were dead.”

She spent three days at home, in a daze, too ashamed to step outside. Then, in an extraordinary act of bravery, she says she confronted the Russian soldier’s commander.

“His commander found the head of his unit. He came to see me and told me, ‘I punished him severely, I broke his jaw, but the most severe punishment is ahead.’ Like shooting. The commander asked me, ‘Do you mind this?’ I said, ‘I don’t mind, I wish all of them will be shot.'”

Although the prosecutor, Kleshchenko, and police officer Oleksandr Svidro are looking specifically for evidence of sexual crimes, everywhere they go they are confronted with the horrors of occupation.

In these liberated villages, nearly every building has been damaged by war. Many homes were reduced to rubble.

At their first stop on the day CNN accompanied the investigators, in Bila Krynytsya, a crowd waiting for food handouts surrounded the prosecutor.

The village was behind Russian lines, but never directly occupied. Those gathered round shout that they’ve been abandoned for months, with no help from either Russia or Ukraine.

“Did you report [the damage] to anyone?” the prosecutor asks. “Who would we report it to?” replies a man in the crowd.

A man in the crowd tells the investigators that he was held by Russian soldiers and subjected to mock execution. It’s hard to hear, tales of torture like this are common here, but that’s not the subject of their work today.

Despite the dissatisfaction of these villagers, Ukraine’s counteroffensive in this part of the country has buoyed public hopes that victory might actually be possible — or at least that Kyiv might liberate key Russian-held cities, such as Kherson.

Starting slowly at the end of the summer, and then in large measure at the beginning of October, Ukrainian forces have regained hundreds of square miles of territory that Russia held since the early days of its full-scale invasion.

A short drive down roads pockmarked by shelling, in Tverdomedove, a mother and daughter tell Kleshchenko that they have not heard of any sexual crimes in their one-road hamlet.

Their neighbor, 71-year-old Vera Lapushnyak, sobs uncontrollably. The Russians were kind when they first arrived, she says.

“They said they came to protect us,” she recalls. “But from whom, why — we didn’t know.”

She was widowed more than 30 years ago — she says her husband died in a motorcycle accident — and her son joined the military soon after Russia’s invasion on February 24. She decided to leave, she says, about three months after Russian troops occupied her village.

Months later, after the Ukrainian military liberated her village in a lightning counteroffensive, she returned. Shelling had reduced her roof to its rafters.

“I don’t know where to sleep now,” she says, in tears. “There are no windows or doors. I sleep like a bum.”

She shows us inside. The ceiling of her bedroom has completely collapsed. She’s moved her bed to the only room that still has an intact window.

“I don’t know where to put it so that (the ceiling) won’t fall on my head,” she says. “If it would fall and kill me that would be better, so I won’t suffer. But I want to see my son again.”

As the sun sets at the end of a long day, the two-man team arrives in Novovoznesens’ke, a village where they’ve uncovered two more cases of rape, allegedly by Russian soldiers. The next day, they return to Kyiv, to submit their findings.

Of course, many of these allegations will be impossible to prove; many do not even have a suspect. For now, the team files its reports, and its investigators continue their work, hoping to be able to file charges in the future.

The United Nations says it has investigated cases in Ukraine of “sexual and gender-based violence” against people ranging from 4 to 82 years old. As of September, 43 criminal proceedings had been initiated, according to the UN.

The police officer, Svidro, says most cases of sexual violence go entirely unreported.

The work takes its toll. “It’s psychologically difficult,” he says. “You understand every person is distressed. But this is important work.”

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

World

Palestinians walk through damaged buildings in Gaza City....

Associated Press

Israeli military confirms release of 8 more Israeli hostages from captivity in Gaza Strip

At least 10 Israelis a day have been released during the truce, in return for Israel’s release of at least 30 Palestinian prisoners.

6 hours ago

**This image is for use with this specific article only** Price hikes and spending cooled last mont...

Alicia Wallace, CNN

Price hikes and spending cooled last month, Fed’s preferred inflation gauge shows

The Commerce Department on Thursday delivered an early present to the Federal Reserve: The central bank’s favorite inflation gauge fell to its lowest level since the spring of 2021, and consumers lifted their foot off the gas pedal.

13 hours ago

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a news conference following a closed-door...

STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press

Senate Majority Leader Schumer warns antisemitism is on the rise

His remarks during a nearly-45 minute speech on the Senate floor Wednesday come at a sensitive time in the Israel-Hamas war.

1 day ago

FILE: Former United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger attends...

NANCY BENAC Associated Press

Henry Kissinger, secretary of state under Presidents Nixon and Ford, dies at 100

He exerted uncommon influence on global affairs under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, earning both harsh criticism and the Nobel Peace Prize.

1 day ago

In this image made from video, the National Christmas Tree hangs from a crane in front of the White...

ASHRAF KHALIL Associated Press

Heavy winds knock over Christmas tree in front of White House, but it’s back upright

The tree, a 40-foot Norway spruce from West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest, had been planted just two weeks ago on the White House Ellipse.

2 days ago

The MSPCA-Angell is seeking very special adopters for a unique kitten named Gumby, who arrived in M...

Veronica Haynes

Gumby, a kitten with deformed legs, seeking forever home at MSPCA

The MSPCA is looking for adopters who are willing to take on the unique challenges that come with adopting a kitten with Gumby’s medical needs.

3 days ago

Sponsored Articles

front of the Butch Cassidy museum with a man in a cowboy hat standing in the doorway...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking Back: The History of Bear Lake

The history of Bear Lake is full of fascinating stories. At over 250,000 years old, the lake has seen generations of people visit its shores.

silhouette of a family looking over a lake with a bird in the top corner flying...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

8 Fun Activities To Do in Bear Lake Without Getting in the Water

Bear Lake offers plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy without having to get in the water. Catch 8 of our favorite activities.

Wellsville Mountains in the spring with a pond in the foreground...

Wasatch Property Management

Advantages of Renting Over Owning a Home

Renting allows you to enjoy luxury amenities and low maintenance without the long-term commitment and responsibilities of owning a home.

Clouds over a red rock vista in Hurricane, Utah...

Wasatch Property Management

Why Southern Utah is a Retirement Paradise

Retirement in southern Utah offers plenty of cultural and recreational opportunities. Find out all that this region has to offer.

Human hand holding a protest banner stop vaping message over a crowded street background....

Prosperous Utah Communities

Utah’s Battle to Protect Youth from Vaping Epidemic Faces New Threat as Proposed Rule Threatens Progress

Utah's strict standards of nicotine levels in vaping products are at risk, increasing health hazards associated with use. Read more about how you can advocate for a better future for Utah's youth.

Aerial photo of Bear Lake shoreline with canopies and people camped out on the beach...

Visit Bear Lake

Last-Minute Summer Vacation Planning? Check Out Bear Lake!

Bear Lake is the perfect getaway if you are last-minute summer vacation planning. Enjoy activities with your whole family at this iconic lake.

In newly liberated villages, Ukrainian investigators uncover horrific claims of Russian sexual violence