Russian Soldier Sentenced for Rape in Occupied Kharkiv Region
Survivor was forced to hide in a minefield to escape her attacker.
Also see
Russian Soldier Sentenced for Sexual Assault and Robbery
Perpetrator identified by survivor after he failed to log out of Google account on her stolen phone.
Russian Soldier Sentenced for Rape in Occupied Kharkiv Region
Survivor was forced to hide in a minefield to escape her attacker.
A Russian soldier has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the rape of a woman in an occupied settlement in Kharkiv region during the summer of 2022.
Danislan Kuramaev of Kaliningrad, 20 years old at the time, was convicted in absentia in a trial held behind closed doors to protect the victim’s identity.
To respect the survivor’s anonymity, the village in the Izyum district was named only as location B, while she was identified as Ms O. The village was under occupation from April 2022 for nearly six months, during which Russian forces terrorised the local population, looting homes, and abducting and torturing to death pro-Ukrainian residents and military veterans.
According to investigators, Ms O was cycling home from work on July 1, 2022 when she was overtaken by a large column of Russian military vehicles, which she estimated numbered around 20.
The driver of the last vehicle, a fuel truck, stopped and demanded she perform oral sex. When she refused, the soldier jumped from his cab, struck her in the head and face with his rifle butt and broke her nose. He then kicked and punched her repeatedly before dragging her into a nearby tree line and raping her. The woman managed to escape and hid in a minefield. Her attacker waited, calling out to her and threatening to kill her if she did not return. The soldier, unwilling to follow her into the minefield, eventually walked away.
According to the investigation, Ms O later identified Kuramaev, a serviceman of the 18th Guards Insterburg Red Banner, Order of Suvorov Motor Rifle Division – a tactical formation of the Coastal Troops of the Russian Navy – from a a lineup of 12 photographs provided by investigators.
“This procedure minimises the risk of suggestion and prevents the process from being a mere formality, as choosing from a wider range of options is objectively more challenging than from a limited set, such as four photographs,” the prosecutor’s general office said in a statement. “Therefore, an identification from 12 photographs is more reliable and well-founded, and it corroborates the survivor’s testimony.”
Kuramaev was identified by operational units. When asked in a written inquiry how this was accomplished, the office of the prosecutor general replied “The methods and means used will not be disclosed.”
The Myrotvorets website featured Kuramaev’s photo from social media, where on one of his pages, Kuramaev posted a slogan, “Who said I’m far from ideal?!? This pathetic ideal is far from ME!!!” The site also contains numerous photos of Kuramaev in military uniform, including some with Z patches, a symbol of the full-scale invasion.
Other photos show Kuramaev’s family and local infrastructure, depicting apparent poverty. The Myrotvorets profile also lists a contact number that may belong to Kuramaev. Last year, journalists from Slidstvo.Info managed to contact him. According to their report, he denied the rape and stated that he was not an occupier but was carrying out a “combat mission” in Ukraine.
In June 2024, a senior investigator for high-profile cases at the main investigative department of the National Police of Ukraine served Kuramaev with a notice of suspicion of committing a war crime, specifically the cruel treatment of the civilian population.
In accordance with standard procedure, the notice of suspicion and court summonses were published in the Uriadovyi Kurier newspaper and on the website of the prosecutor general’s office, while attempts were also made to contact Kuramaev directly.
“During the pre-trial investigation, an investigator sent a copy of the notice of suspicion – including a version in Russian – and the summonses to a messenger app the suspect was using at the time,” the prosecutor general’s office stated.
The case was prosecuted by the prosecutor general’s office, which in September 2022, established a specialised unit to handle cases of conflict-related sexual violence.
“During the pre-trial investigation and court proceedings in cases like this, we adhere to the principles of a trauma-informed approach, ensuring confidentiality, preventing re-traumatisation and maintaining ethical communication,” the prosecutor general’s office press service stated. “Prosecutors from the [prosecutor general’s office] handled the supervision and public prosecution in this criminal case due to its sensitive nature and to ensure prosecutorial continuity. We guarantee the safety, confidentiality and respect for the survivors and their information,” the statement continued.
The trial was held behind closed doors, a measure permitted by law for such crimes. According to the prosecutor general’s office, this was also necessary to protect the survivor and her personal data, as she testified in person.
“One of the new approaches is to ensure survivors maintain control over their own information. This means respecting and supporting a survivor’s right to privacy, control and autonomy over their personal story, identity and image, and protecting the confidentiality of their personal data,” the press service stated.
Kuramaev has 30 days to appeal the sentence handed down by the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kharkiv on November 3, 2025. The appeal can also be filed by his defence attorney, whom the state of Ukraine provides to defendants as required by law. According to the prosecutor general’s office, no appeal has been filed to date. The survivor did not file a civil claim for damages during the preliminary hearing.
