A Russian soldier kept a Ukrainian woman in a basement and raped her for two months – Ukrainian court sentences him to 12 years

A Russian soldier has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for repeatedly raping a 57-year-old Ukrainian woman in an occupied village in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, over a two-month period, according to the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office. The soldier, a 50-year-old Russian serviceman, entered the village in September 2025 with a small infantry group and took over a private home, where two local civilians were seeking shelter from Russian attacks.

When one of the civilians was killed, the woman was left alone with the three Russian soldiers in the basement. The abuse began in early October and continued for two months, during which the soldier threatened the woman with death if she did not comply. Two other Russian servicemen were present during this time, but the woman was unable to leave the basement or defend herself.

The abuse ended in December when Ukrainian forces captured the soldier. The convicted man, a Russian national with a 32-year criminal history for robbery and armed robbery, denied the charges in court. He had served time in a Russian prison before being deployed to the Russian military. The court found sufficient evidence to establish his guilt in the cruel treatment of the civilian.

This case is one of hundreds documented by Ukrainian authorities and international monitors, who warn that the true number of such incidents may be much higher due to underreporting, particularly in occupied territories.