Thread: Russia launches Ukraine invasion

• Ukraine opens first investigation into claims of rape against Russian soldiers

Ukrainian officials say they are investigating claims that Russian soldiers killed a woman's husband and then repeatedly raped her in a village outside Kyiv, according to reports.

"I cried out, where is my husband, then I looked outside and I saw him on the ground by the gate. This younger guy pulled gun to my head and said: 'I shot your husband because he's a Nazi,'" the woman, who used the pseudonym Natalya, told The Times of London in an article published Monday.

The woman said she was raped by the man who killed her husband and another soldier.

"He told me to take my clothes off. Then they both raped me one after the other. They didn't care that my son was in the boiler room crying. They told me to go shut him up and come back," she told the British paper.

Ukraine's prosecutor general, Iryna Venediktova, said in a Facebook post last week that a Russian soldier had killed an unarmed civilian and then repeatedly raped his wife, according to The New York Times. The incident reportedly took place on March 9.

The soldier is currently wanted for arrest "on suspicion of violation of the laws and customs of war," the report added.

This is the first investigation into claims of rape by Russian soldiers since Moscow invaded Ukraine more than a month ago.

When asked at a press briefing about the investigation, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, "We do not trust the information about the rape of a woman at all. This is a lie."

"We do not trust the Ukrainian attorney general’s office. The Russian troops do not strike or shoot civilians. Russian troops help civilians," Peskov said.

Ukrainian Minister of Parliament Maria Mezentseva told Sky News on Monday that cases like Natalya's need to be recorded, as "justice has to prevail."

Mezentseva added that there are many more victims in similar circumstances who have not yet been made public by the prosecutor general.

This is not the first time Ukraine has accused Russian soldiers of committing atrocities. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba previously said Russian soldiers were committing rape in Ukrainian cities, using the allegations to criticize the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

Kuleba said at an event in London earlier this month, "When bombs fall on your cities, when soldiers rape women in the occupied cities — and we have numerous cases of, unfortunately, when Russian soldiers rape women in Ukrainian cities — it's difficult, of course, to speak about the efficiency of international law," Reuters reported.

• More Ukrainian child cancer patients evacuated to U.S.

Four more Ukrainian children suffering from cancer safely arrived in the U.S. on Monday for treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Why it matters: Earlier this month, the State Department facilitated the transfer of four other Ukrainian children undergoing cancer treatment from Poland to the Memphis, Tennessee, children's hospital.

The latest group of children, including 11 family members, were airlifted from Poland to the U.S. aboard a medical transport aircraft and will resume cancer treatments at St. Jude.

What they're saying: St. Jude "is uniquely positioned to bring the world together to address this humanitarian tragedy,” the hospital's president and CEO James R. Downing said in a statement.

“Our ongoing commitment is to ensure children with cancer around the globe have access to lifesaving care. We are honored to help these families resume their children’s lifesaving treatment in safety."

Background: The World Health Organization previously confirmed there have been at least 68 attacks on Ukrainian health facilities since Feb. 24.

"We recognize, however, that the children transported represent a small proportion of the thousands of patients whose cancer treatment has been interrupted and, who, even amid a pandemic and with compromised immune systems, were forced to flee their homes," State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement on March 22. St. Jude accepts 2nd group of Ukrainian cancer patients - ABC News

• Bennet, Portman introduce bill to use seized Russian assets for Ukrainian relief

Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) on Tuesday unveiled a bill to require the Department of Justice to direct any funds resulting from the sale of seized Russian assets to support Ukrainian refugees and reconstruction.

The Repurposing Elite Luxuries Into Emergency Funds for Ukraine Act, or Relief for Ukraine Act, would require the Justice Department to direct funds from the liquidation of seized Russian assets to a new Ukraine Relief Fund, which will be administered by the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

“Putin and his inner circle bear direct responsibility for the war in Ukraine and the shameful death, destruction, and dislocation it has unleashed,” said Bennet in a statement. “Our bill makes Putin and Russian oligarchs pay the price by ensuring that funds from their seized assets go directly to the Ukrainian people to support them through many difficult years ahead of resettlement, reconstruction, and recovery.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland on March 2 announced a special task force named KleptoCapture to enforce sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his circle of allies and supporters.

The task force could use civil and criminal asset forfeiture authority to seize the luxury properties, yachts and private jets of Russian oligarchs close to Putin.

Portman said Ukraine is suffering from the worst refugee crisis since World War II and needs help to resettle its displaced population and rebuild cities turned to rubble by Russian artillery.

The relief fund would be used to protect the health and wellbeing of Ukrainian refugees and provide for reconstruction efforts in parts of Ukraine that aren’t controlled by Russian forces, according to a summary of the bill provided by the senators’ offices.

The legislation would require the administration to make regular reports to Congress on seized assets, funds transferred and what steps have been taken to support Ukrainian refugees and reconstruction.

“One way to help is to move from freezing the assets of Russian oligarchs and wealthy citizens to seizing their assets, and providing that funding to people of Ukraine to help with ongoing humanitarian efforts,” Portman said.

“I encourage all of my colleagues to support this critical legislation so that we can apply more pressure on Russia to stop this barbaric war and prioritize more rapid relief for our friends in Ukraine,” he added.

• Poland to end Russian oil imports; Germany warns on gas

Poland announced steps Wednesday to end all Russian oil imports by year's end, while Germany issued a warning about natural gas levels and called on people to conserve, new signs of how Russia's war in Ukraine has escalated tensions about securing energy supplies to power Europe.

Poland, which has taken in millions of Ukrainian refugees, has taken the lead in the European Union (EU) on swiftly cutting off Russian fossil fuels. The 27-nation bloc has declined to sanction energy because it depends on Moscow for the fuel needed for cars, electricity, heating and industry, but it has announced proposals to wean itself off those supplies.

“We are presenting the most radical plan in Europe for departing from Russian oil by the end of this year,” Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said at a news conference.

It comes a day after Poland said it was banning Russian coal imports, expected by May. Morawiecki says Poland will take steps to become “independent” of Russian supplies and is calling on other European Union countries to “walk away” as well. He argues that money paid for Russia’s oil and gas is fueling its war machine.