This article contains descriptions of physical and sexual violence, which may be disturbing to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
Ukrainian men detained by Russian and Russian-affiliated forces, including prisoners of war, regularly report that their captors, including penitentiary staff, engaged in sexual violence. Reports include rape, threats of rape, forced penetration with foreign objects, electric shocks to genitalia, and other forms of torture like those Lakhno experienced. The abuse is said to punish, intimidate, demoralize, or extract confessions.
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A military psychologist who worked at Sanzhary Hospital, a Ukrainian state-run facility for former POWs, told me that about 80% of the former detainees she assisted had experienced sexual violence in Russian captivity.
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Yet, the options for help are limited. Upon returning to Ukraine, POWs are entitled to four to eight weeks of government-funded medical and psychological treatment. While services are available, Ukrainian groups say they are far from sufficient.