UN envoy says Russia uses rape as military strategy

A UN representative claimed this week that Russia is employing rape and other sexual assault as part of its "military strategy" in Ukraine.

The assertion was made in response to information recently made public by a UN panel of experts, which confirmed "more than a hundred cases" of rape or sexual assault occurrences reported in Ukraine since February.

"When you hear women testify about Russian soldiers equipped with Viagra, it's clearly a military strategy," Pramila Patten, UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, said in an interview with AFP on Thursday.

Because sexual offences are frequently "underreported," she continued, many cases involved youngsters and the total number of victims was likely to be much greater than official statistics indicated.

"There are many cases of sexual violence against children who are raped, tortured and sequestered," Patten said.

"I have not stopped since February to emphasize the importance of having credible investigations into these cases of violence."

Ukrainian officials have regularly charged Moscow's military with sexually abusing women and children since the Russian invasion started, alleging that they employ rape and other sexual activities as weapons of war.

According to Kateryna Pavlichenko, deputy minister of internal affairs for Ukraine, police have received about 50 reports of sexual offences committed by Russian forces.

Following the recent recovery of land by Ukrainian forces in the Kharkiv region, prosecutors are also looking into rape charges there.

According to CNN, Ukrainian women, including a 16-year-old girl who was pregnant, related horrific experiences of sexual assault.

Allegations of war crimes in Ukraine have been refuted by Russian authorities.

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