Russian colonel Emil Akhmerov is being tried in the Kharkov region, who raped a woman during the occupation of the Izyum region. This is not the first time that this particular Russian army soldier sexually assaulted women. Acted in collusion with accomplices — in one case they mocked a woman by a crowd.
In total, 19 rapes of Ukrainian women by the occupiers are being investigated in the Kharkov region, the youngest victim is only 16 years old.
Rape victim
— I ask you not to use my name and film it so that your face is not visible — I don't want to be recognized.
This is how a middle-aged woman living in one of the settlements of the Kharkov region begins the conversation. From the details of her personal life, she allowed me to indicate that she is married and has children. During the occupation of the Izyum district in the spring of 2022, she was raped by a Russian soldier.
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It was in April, a large family lived in one of the private houses in the Izyum district, the woman began the story.
— We came there because our houses were broken down, and there was a basement there to hide. There were 12 of us, mostly relatives, most — pensioners and children, — the woman says.
That day, as usual, I cooked food over the fire. Suddenly an armed man approached and asked for documents for verification.
— On April 14, I was preparing food because there was no gas, water, or electricity. This Konstantin came up to me: “Can I meet you?”. “Well, hi”, — She said politely, because what should I do if they have machine guns and pistols. He says: “My commander is looking for a girl for love”. I say: “Sorry, you are at the wrong address, I am married, I have children”, — the woman says.
Photo: our website
The occupier left, and around midnight he returned with his commander. Both were without balaclavas, did not hide their faces, were armed, and were shooting in the air.
— Dad opened the door, they pulled him out, twisted his arm and put a gun to his head. They called me, I came out, and when I asked: “What is your name?”. He told me: “Call me Wolf”.
That time everything worked out, but in the morning the invaders returned — drunk and even more aggressive. They ordered the parents not to leave the basement and dragged the woman into the house.
— If you didn’t mean well yesterday, then today will be bad. He (Wolf, — Ed.) placed this Konstantin at the entrance to the door to my room and raped me in my own bed. There was always a pistol near his temple. After that, he offered me money, I refused. He said that at 5 o’clock in the evening he would bring some humanitarian aid, I said that I didn’t need anything, — the woman says.
She hid with a friend for several days, and her family also moved out of the house. Later in the yard they found a duck with a severed head and cartridge casings.
— There was blood all over the yard, the duck was thrown out without its head. And there were cartridges in the yard. Who is this — I don't know, we weren't at home. But I was afraid, my parents were afraid, because they could either throw a grenade or shoot me, — the woman remembers.
Ukrainian investigators, after the de-occupation of the Kharkov region, identified her offenders, the woman recognized her rapist from the photo.
— I just want this man to receive a worthy punishment, so that there are no others like him. It’s difficult, even though almost 2 years have passed, but it’s still hard for me to remember, — says the woman.
Wolf and Small
After the liberation of the Izyumsky district in the fall of 2022, law enforcement officers found documents and a hard drive with information about the Russian military, which the occupiers left behind when escaping. Investigators managed to find one of the criminals, including thanks to his call sign, says the acting head of the department for combating crimes committed in armed conflict, Kharkov Regional Prosecutor's Office Spartak Borisenko.
Photo: our website
The wolf turned out to be a 45-year-old colonel, commander of the 99th self-propelled artillery regiment of the 3rd motorized rifle division of the 20th combined arms army of the Western Military District of the Russian Armed Forces Emil Akhmerov.
Photo: Emil Akhmerov/Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office
And the accomplice in the crime was the 22-year-old driver of the 752nd motorized rifle regiment of the 3rd motorized rifle division of the 20th combined arms army of the Russian Armed Forces, Konstantin Shlyapnikov, call sign Malaya.
— They are accused of violating the laws and customs of war, punishable by 8 to 12 years in prison. The criminals are on the international wanted list, — noted the prosecutor.
Photo: Kostyantin Shlyapnikov/Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office
Another crime
During the investigation, it turned out that Vovk and Maloy were involved in at least one more crime, says Spartak Borisenko:
— In the morning, in one of the settlements, the Russian military checked the documents of the people who lived there, chose a victim, and in the evening they came to the house and took the victim to commit a crime.
This happened to another woman in one of the settlements of the Kharkov region. In April 22, the occupiers kidnapped her from her home, abused her on the way, and in the so-called commandant’s office they repeatedly raped her, including unnaturally. This time, it was not only Akhmerov who raped the woman, but also Shlyapnikov, as well as the 26-year-old commander of the command and combat vehicle section, Mammi Mamiev. There was another soldier with them, whom the investigation has not yet been able to identify.
The youngest rape victim is 16 years old
Both cases are now being heard in court, Borisenko says. In total, 19 crimes related to sexual violence by the Russian military against Ukrainian women were identified in the Kharkov region. The oldest rape victim is 73 years old, the youngest — total 16.
Photo: our website
In fact, there are much more victims, the prosecutor is convinced, people are simply embarrassed or afraid to contact law enforcement agencies with a report of a crime committed against them, because such cases are very traumatic for the victims and they try to forget about them as soon as possible.
— Neither of them wants to remember what they went through, they try to forget said circumstances. However, in order to make it easier for the victims, we provide assistance — and psychologists and doctors. It’s better to shift this burden from the victim to the offender, file a corresponding complaint with law enforcement agencies, and we will do everything necessary to bring them to justice, — he says.
The UN believes that the sexual violence resorted to by the occupiers during the war in Ukraine is part of “military strategy” Russia. The regional prosecutor's office regards such crimes as genocide against the Ukrainian people.
— The criminals tried to prove their superiority over the victims, the Russian military tried to intimidate, humiliate the victims and break them primarily for their pro-Ukrainian position. The systematic nature of these cases may indicate the implementation of genocide against the Ukrainian nation, since in some cases the victims lost their reproductive function, — says Borisenko.
The prosecutor calls on women and men who may have become victims of sexual violence by the occupiers not to hush up these facts and contact law enforcement agencies. They will be provided with all the necessary assistance, including psychological, and the crime will be investigated with anonymity ensured.
