78216 - Transcription of Podcast With US #66 Russian sexual barbarity against Ukraine

Ν. Lygeros

In this podcast we want to talk about the Russian use of the rape as military strategy. And we are going to use the words of the UN envoy just to be clear about this subject. Russian forces are using rape and of course sexual violence as part of their military strategy in Ukraine. So the idea is not that we are talking only about war but of course of war crimes. Russian authorities have denied delegations of war crimes in Ukraine. But this looks like a joke right now because we have many testimonies about that and the investigators have already proved that this is true and that we have many cases of sexual violence against even children who are raped, tortured and sequestrated. So, our problem is not to talk about is it possible or not? Yes. And in fact it is military strategy of the Russian forces. So they are using something which is very strange in their willingness to defeat any resistance of Ukrainian people. But the problem for them is that at the same time this resistance is each day bigger and bigger. So the problem is that when you hear women testify about Russian soldiers equipped with Viagra, it’s clearly a military strategy. So they want to use this sexual violence clearly as weapon, war weapon. So their aim is not just to rape, is in fact to destroy the Ukrainian spirit of resistance using women and children and they are looking for sexual crimes just to convince all the Ukrainians that there is nothing to do against them. It’s wrong. It’s an error and it is of course a crime against Humanity. So opposition now is clear. It’s not just an invasion, it’s not just a war. This is a war crime and not only one. So Russia is guilty and this is clear now. It’ not just a geopolitical invasion. This is exactly the expression of the willingness to destroy a civilization in any manner. And now they use even sexual violence to do it. So, of course, they should be ashamed about that because there is no relation with the spirit of any warrior. The problem for them is now that we know it. We are going to continue to fight against this barbarity, not only because this is a justice, this is a right, but because the attempt to destroy this part of Mankind is an act of barbarity.