The figure includes 262 men, most of whom were tortured in captivity on occupied territories or in Russia, 104 women, as well as children — 10 girls and two boys, according to the report.
The Kyiv Independent in June identified Mykola Senenko as raping a woman in Kherson Oblast in March 2022.
The Kyiv Independent's investigative documentary "He Came Back," which uncovers sexual crimes committed during the Russian occupation of Kyiv and Kherson oblasts in early 2022, won the Best Film award at the Press Play Prague film festival on Oct. 12.
After over a year of court hearings, attorneys defending three Ukrainian teenagers convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Zakarpattia Oblast have asked the court to close the case against them.
This article contains descriptions of physical and sexual violence, which may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised. Forced nudity during “welcome beatings,” naked “crouch walking,” and gratuitous stripping and body cavity searches are but a few examples of the abuse Viktor Lakhno, 26, a former prisoner of
On Aug. 14, two humanitarian workers died in a Kherson hospital after being injured by Russian shelling, a stark reminder of the ongoing attacks across Ukraine. As we observe World Humanitarian Day, it's crucial to acknowledge the immense physical and emotional challenges faced by Ukraine’s front-line humanitarian workers. Humanitarian
Editor’s Note: This story was produced in collaboration with the Organized Crime and Corruption and Reporting Project (OCCRP) and is published by both organizations. The story is based on the Kyiv Independent’s latest investigative documentary, “He Came Back.” The day after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine,
Sexual violence is one of the weapons Russian soldiers systematically use against Ukrainians. The Kyiv Independent presents “He Came Back” – a documentary that investigates sexual violence as war crimes.
Citing testimony from people released from Russian captivity, Ukraine's UN envoy Sergiy Kyslytsya said that over 50 percent of detainees suffered torture, rape, or other forms of sexual violence.
Working alongside investigators and prosecutors on sexual and gender-based crimes is a horrific experience. It involves listening to, reading, and hearing accounts of unimaginable suffering in sickening detail. To support the work of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office, Mobile Justice Teams (MJTs) comprised of Ukrainian and international experts were
Editor's Note: This article contains graphic descriptions of sexual violence. The names of the teenagers who figure in the case are not mentioned as Ukrainian law does not allow them to be made publicly available. On a summer day in 2021, three teenage boys sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl, filmed
