Russia giving soldiers Viagra to rape Ukrainians, claims UN envoy

New Delhi: UN envoy Pramila Patten has claimed that Russian soldiers are being given Viagra to sexually assault civilians in Ukraine as part of their “military strategy”.

Pramila Patten, the UN special representative on sexual violence in conflict, made the shocking revelation in a interview to AFP.

When asked if rape was being used as a weapon of war in Ukraine, she said, “All the indications are there.”

Referring to a UN report released in late September, Patten said that the UN has recorded more than a hundred cases of rape and sexual violence since the invasion began.

The victims are not only women and girls, but also men and boys, she added.

“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.

The report “confirmed crimes against humanity committed by the Russian forces, and according to gathered testimonies, the age of the victims of sexual violence ranges from four to 82-years-old,” she said.

“And when the victims report what was said during the rapes, it is clearly a deliberate tactic to dehumanise the victims, Patten added.

The UN envoy said that “reported cases are only the tip of the iceberg.”

“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” that is largely underreported, she said.

Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly denied allegations of war crimes against Ukrainian civilians, saying that it has only been focusing on areas that have been evacuated by civilians.

With inputs from agencies

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