Punish Russia for sex crimes: Ukraine ambassador

Ukraine’s ambassador-designate to Canada says Russia must be held accountable for its troops committing sex crimes, including against children.

Yulia Kovaliv told MPs at a House of Commons committee that Russia is using sexual violence as a weapon of war and said rape and sexual assault must be investigated as war crimes.

She said Russia has also kidnapped Ukrainian children and taken them to Russian-occupied territories and now Russia itself. But Ukraine is working with partners to find the children and bring them back.

“Russians, a few days ago, killed a young mother and taped her living child to her body and attached a mine between them,” the ambassador said, choking back emotion. She said the mine detonated.

Kovaliv said all of Russian society, and not just President Vladimir Putin “and his proxies,” should bear responsibility for the war on Ukraine as more than 70 per cent of Russians support the invasion.

Speaking to the Commons foreign affairs committee, Kovaliv expressed Ukraine’s “heartfelt thanks” to Canada for its continuing support, including with heavy weapons, vehicles, financial aid and sanctions against Russia.

Kovaliv paid tribute to the Canadian Parliament, where MPs voted symbolically to label Russian targeting of Ukrainian civilians a genocide.

“History books will commend Canada for its strong stance with Ukraine against Russia’s barbaric war,” she said. “Ukrainians will never forget that Canada was shoulder to shoulder with us in these dramatic times of our modern history.”