Some 1,700 soldiers and civilians are currently being held by Russia and pro-Russian separatists. Such a statement made Ukraine’s deputy prime minister.

Out of some 1,700 soldiers and civilians she says are currently being held by Russia and pro-Russian separatists, it is the 500 women, and their treatment, which troubles her most.

“They force them to stand, don’t let them sit down. They shave their heads, they force them to undress every day for checkups. They humiliate their human dignity. I know facts of rape, I saw spines that had been beaten.

They want us to be scared. They want us to cry and to be victims. But we aren’t. Our girls and women ... ask us to continue fighting for our victory”, - added Iryna Vereshchuk.