How a British-led team is tracking the Russian perpetrators

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After gathering accounts from survivors and witnesses, the team uses open source intelligence to strengthen their cases. But the task is difficult, and there is often very little information to begin with.

“Sometimes you use social networks, and sometimes they are [the Russian soldiers] Give other indications, such as where they come from, or how many units they have. Anna Mikitenko, one of the team on the ground, and Country Director for Global Rights Compliance in Ukraine, said victims would have a broad understanding of the age of the perpetrators.

In the past few months, Ms. Mykytenko has worked to compile rapes, forced nudity, and sexual torture.

“These crimes go unreported. We are there to help direct investigations and prevent mistakes.

Long road to justice

Those at the top of the chain of command also face scrutiny.

“For the offenders in higher echelons of the military, those whose names we know, the challenge is to gather evidence that establishes links between crimes on the ground and their involvement,” said Mr. Jordsch.

He referred to the commander of the 64th Brigade in Busha, nicknamed “Butcher of Busha”.

“What he did, from the evidence I’ve seen, was order his military subordinates to secure the area and treat anyone who resisted as a military combatant who could be killed, or they should be tortured and forced to confess to their alleged crimes,” he said.

He was giving orders that led to criminal behaviour. He was aware but did nothing to stop it. “There is his criminal intent,” he added.

Securing justice for victims of sexual violence is a challenge the world has long struggled with.

The first trial of rape as a war crime occurred in 1998, in a landmark ruling by the International Criminal Court on Rwanda, yet most of the perpetrators have yet to be brought to justice.

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