Repeatedrape:storyofa31-year-oldwomanfromtheKharkivregion 

I am from a village in the Kharkiv region. Russian soldiers entered our village on February 25.

On March 13, an armed Russian soldier stormed the school basement, where I was hiding with my 5-year-old daughter, mother, 13-year-old sister and 24-year-old brother.

It was a guy, who carried an assault rifle and a pistol. He ordered everyone there to line up.He told my brother to come forward and ordered the rest to kneel. Otherwise he would shoot everyone. They came back an hour or two later. We started settling down for the night. After a while, he ordered me to follow him…

He pointed a gun at me and told to undress. He shot twice at the ceiling and said it would give me more ‘motivation’. He raped me, then told me to sit on a chair. It was chilling in the unheated school and I asked if I could get dressed.

The soldier told me I should only put on my top, not pants or underwear. While I was putting on my clothes, he said that I reminded him of a girl he went to school with.

The soldier told me to go to the basement and grab my staff. I refused, because I knew my daughter would cry if she saw me. He got a knife and told me to do what he said if I wanted to see my child again.

He raped me again, put a knife to throat and cut the skin on neck. He also cut cheek with the knife and cut off some of hair. He hit me on the face with a book and repeatedly slapped me. 

The torture ended at around 7 am on March 14, when he said to find him cigarettes. 

After I gave him them, he left.

On the same day, my family and I reached Kharkiv by foot, where I received first aid.

I am lucky to be alive.

THIS IS A SURVIVAL STORY. BUT THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIANS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TELL THEIR STORIES — RUSSIANS KILLED THEM. SPREAD THE TRUTH. HELP US BRING RUSSIA TO JUSTICE FOR WAR CRIMES.

*All stories are real and were taken from interviews, stories, recordings and personal blogs.
Based on the interview by Human Rights Watch.