Allegations of LGBTIQ+ Ukrainians being attacked, imprisoned and tortured by Russian soldiers persist a year since the invasion. Here are their stories.
Content warning: This article contains references to sexual assault and suicide.
In another case, a group of young men accused of being gay were allegedly taken hostage by Russian soldiers. Ms Polevikova, the managing director of LGBTIQ+ organisation For Equal Rights, who is a lesbian, said her concerns were heightened by international reports that surfaced prior to the invasion, claiming Russian soldiers planned to target certain groups.
She has been working with her Canberra-based friend Renee Dixson to move about 300 members of the community to safer areas in Ukraine and overseas. “So naturally when they occupied Ukraine, they were looking for the LGBTIQ+ community and targeting them specifically.“Russian soldiers are also targeting women ... They are targeting religious minorities. They're targeting ethnic minorities. The crimes are quite numerous.”Russia has repeatedly denied its soldiers have committed war crimes during the invasion.
“The SBS audience should know this story in order to perceive this new batch of fabrications in the right context,“ the embassy statement said.Andriy Maymulakhin, head of the Nash Svit Centre, said one year on from the invasion, some members of the community who remain in occupied areas remain fearful.
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