A Catholic nun from India serving the war-hit people of Ukraine says hungry and frustrated Russian soldiers now invade Ukrainian homes, loot food and rape women.
“We hear stories of such atrocities almost daily, and we too live in fear and anxiety,” says Sister Ligi Payyappilly, who shelters around 75 women and children besides 50 elderly people at her convent at Mukachevo in western Ukraine.
The 48-year-old superior of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Saint-Marc convent says the Russian soldiers have now started attacking camps and government shelter homes for refugees, besides residential homes.
“They want food and sex, and they are hungry, angry and frustrated,” Sister Payyappilly told on April 7.
The nun, who came to limelight when she helped overseas students escape to neighbouring countries, said the Russian soldiers, who have exhausted their food stock, have no hope of returning home. “They have started acting crazy,” she added.
According to the Washington Post, an estimated 15,000 Russian troops have been killed, three times more are either wounded or taken prisoner in Ukraine — an estimate from NATO, based on the assumption that for every soldier killed, three are wounded.
As the Russian invasion entered the 41st day on April 6, human casualties remained high for Russians whereas Ukrainians have suffered huge infrastructure loss. The Russians in the invaded land are now attacking civilians, according to Sister Payyappilly, a Ukrainian citizen now.
When the war started on February 24, Mukachevo and other places in western Ukraine were safe. However, the Russians have now started attacking the western region.