Russia: Soldiers are given Viagra to rape Ukrainians in new 'war strategy'

Pramila Patten, the United Nations special representative on sexual violence in conflict, has confirmed that rape is part of Russia's "military strategy." This is a "deliberate tactic to dehumanize the victims." More than 100 Ukrainian women are testifying to their government regarding their traumatic experience with the Russian soldiers.

Pattern underscored that "when women are held for days and raped, when you start to rape little boys and men when you see a series of genital mutilations when you hear women testify about Russian soldiers equipped with Viagra, it's clearly a military strategy."

She said that the United Nations has verified "more than a hundred cases" of different cases of sexual assault ever since the start of the war in February. Rape victims consist of girls, boys, men and women, no one is safe.

Last month, Erik Møse, Chair of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, presented evidence that Russian soldiers have been committing rampant war crimes in Ukraine and against non-combatant civilians. The Commission is continuing its investigations while making recommendations concerning criminal accountability and other measures of accountability.

Patten told the media that in some cases, family members of the rape victims were forced to watch how the Russian soldiers violated their family members. She said, "it's very difficult to have reliable statistics during an active conflict, and the numbers will never reflect reality because sexual violence is a silent crime. Reported cases are only the tip of the iceberg. The numbers will never reflect reality because sexual violence is a silent crime."

The Ukrainian Ombudswoman Lyudmyla Denisova received 400 rape reports as of April 2022, These reports were of rapes and other forms of sexual assault being committed by Russian soldiers. Most of the victims came from temporarily occupied territories or recently liberated areas.

The Russian government has since denied all war crime allegations presented.