A group of Russian soldiers were reportedly found hiding by members of the LGBTQ+ community who beat and captured them.
The troops were allegedly hiding in a basement in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city currently being targeted by Russia, when they were found.
Viktor Pilipanko, an LGBTQ+ rights activist from Ukraine, told Israel Hayom that the troops were beaten up and taken captive by the LGBTQ+ people who discovered them.
“This is our war, the Ukrainians, but we have also been fighting as LGBTQ people, and I’m sure that the comrades in Kharkiv understood that,” he told the outlet.
“We are confronting a tyrannical, homophobic enemy.”
Reports such as this are hard to verify during a war as there are conflicting reports about what is happening on the ground.
Many queer people in Ukraine have been fearful of what a Russian occupation could mean for their rights since their country was invaded on 24 February.
Some told CBS News that Russia’s presence is “a direct threat” to their safety.
“That would mean a direct threat to me and especially, well, to me and to the person I love,” an 18-year-old law student named Iulia told the outlet.
The student also stated that it’s “much more safer than in Russia,” despite Ukraine not allowing gay marriage.
“We still have a lot of things to do about our rights and our freedoms, but in Ukraine, you can fully express yourself,” she said.
Russia has a long history of persecuting members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Just last year, it formally banned same-sex marriage – despite it not being permitted there to begin with.
In 2013, the country banned homosexual “propaganda” aimed at minors with a new law, something which eventually became grounds for banning Pride marches and the display of rainbow flags.
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