Europe Asia News

Estonian Foreign Minister Tsahkna, citing data from the United Nations Human Rights Office, said that 1,004 cases of sexual violence have been documented since the start of Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine.

In a post on his social media account, Tsahkna said that the majority of the cases were attributed to Russian forces and alleged that Russia uses sexual violence as a method of warfare.

Tsahkna stated that sexual violence is used against prisoners of war and civilians for the purposes of torture, punishment, intimidation and coercion, arguing that this constitutes a serious violation of international law and human dignity.

Tsahkna said: “We cannot turn a blind eye to these crimes. Russia must be held accountable in the strongest possible way. Every victim and everyone whose loved ones have suffered as a result of Russia’s actions deserves justice. Accountability is not an option, it is a necessity.”