UKRAINE, June 21 — The Global Survivors Fund will pay €3,000 in interim compensation to 500 survivors of conflict-related sexual violence as part of a pilot project, announced Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. 

In Ukraine, 303 cases of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) have been documented since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.

“As of today, I have already received six applications from people who have expressed a desire to participate in the project. With the consent of the victims, I have sent their contact information to the Global Fund to provide them with immediate interim reparations. I was assured that the processing of applications will be confidential and impartial,” Dmytro Lubinets said.

Lubinets emphasized that participation in this project does not in any way limit the right of victims to receive assistance from other programs. 

The Global Survivors Fund was established in October 2019 to help victims of the CRSV receive reparations. The Fund provides interim reparations when states or other parties are unable or unwilling to fulfill their obligations. The team also provides expert and technical support in developing reparations programs.

Ukraine’s representative to the UN, Serhii Kyslytsia, said that Russian military uses sexual violence as a weapon against civilians and prisoners of war in Ukraine.

According to him, testimonies from people released from Russian Federation captivity reveal that over 50% of detainees endured torture, rape, or other forms of sexual violence. 

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  • Our piece on sexual violence as a war crime: “Russian soldier raped me.” The real scale of the Russian sexual violence is unknown. Survivors often don’t want to report the rape or come to the police.