Current:Home > ScamsRussians committing rape, 'widespread' torture against Ukrainians, UN report finds -FutureWise Finance
Russians committing rape, 'widespread' torture against Ukrainians, UN report finds
View
Date:2025-04-13 15:38:28
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! (85)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Former club president regrets attacking Turkish soccer referee but denies threatening to kill him
- Elderly man with cane arrested after Florida police say he robbed a bank with a knife
- Door plug that blew off Alaska Airlines plane in-flight found in backyard
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell hilariously reunite on Golden Globes stage
- Farewell to Earnest Jackson, the iconic voice behind Planet Money's 'Inflation' song
- Florence Pugh Rocks Fierce Faux-Hawk and Nipple-Baring Dress at the 2024 Golden Globes
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Franz Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup both as player and coach for Germany, has died at 78
Ranking
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- 2 killed, 9 injured in 35-vehicle pileup on Interstate 5 near Bakersfield, California
- Farewell to Earnest Jackson, the iconic voice behind Planet Money's 'Inflation' song
- Park Service retracts decision to take down William Penn statue at Philadelphia historical site
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- Newly sworn in, Louisiana’s governor calls for special session to draw new congressional map
- Pakistan’s court scraps a lifetime ban on politicians with convictions from contesting elections
- Idris Elba calls for tougher action on knife crime after a spate of teen killings in Britain
Recommendation
Could your smelly farts help science?
These are the top 3 Dow Jones stocks to own in 2024, according to Wall Street
Jo Koy Defends Cute Golden Globes Joke About Taylor Swift Amid Criticism
Iowa Legislature reconvenes with subdued start ahead of presidential caucuses
Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
Gigi Hadid Joins Bradley Cooper and His Mom for Dinner After Golden Globes 2024
56 million credit cardholders have been in debt for at least a year, survey finds
From Taylor Swift's entourage to adorable PDA: Best Golden Globe moments you missed on TV