Ukrainian official shares heartbreaking story behind video of dog in war-torn town

A tragic video shows a dog waiting for his owner to return home in Ukraine - but this time she won’t be coming back.

A tragic video shows a dog waiting for his owner to return home in Ukraine - but this time she won’t be coming back.

A Ukrainian official providing updates on the war shared the horrific story of a woman locals claim was “raped and tortured” by Russian-aligned Chechen forces in Makariv.

Adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko, who regularly posts information to Twitter, shared a video circulating on Telegram of a dog waiting for its owner on a porch in the war-torn town.

Mr Gerashchenko says the dog belonged to a woman named Tetiana, who was reportedly killed in the early stages of Russia’s invasion nearly two months ago.

Gruesome footage showed the remains of her house, including bloodstains on a mattress where another woman claimed she was “raped and cut to death”.

Tetiana was reportedly raped and murdered in Ukraine

“No one knows for how long the woman was tortured. No one could help her because the locals were locked up in basements by Russians,” Mr Gerashchenko said.

“The ones who managed to stay home couldn‘t even approach their windows — they were shot right away.

“Later people said that the rapist was killed by a Russian soldier and Tetiana was buried in the yard of that house.”

The dog, Reeny, was recently seen waiting out front for his owner to return.

“Reeny doesn‘t know and still waits for her. No one took care of Reeny during the month of occupation,” Mr Gerashchenko continued.

He said he had a friend who knew Tetiana, explaining the dog was “like a child for her”.

“Some people tried to take her away, but this is not possible. Reeny is very sick and does not want to leave the house, epilepsy begins. The neighbours have united and fed Reeny,” he said.

This is Reeny, 9 years old. Her human Tetiana we wrote about was brutally murdered. Reeny doesn't know and still waits for her. No one took care of Reeny during the month of occupation. Now looking for kind hands who will help her recover.#GenocideOfUkrainianspic.twitter.com/l3SzIXn6Ff

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 10, 2022

Mr Gerashchenko said he had a friend pick up the estranged pooch to bring it to relatives of Tetiana.

“Relatives of the deceased Tetiana were found and are ready to take Reeny in. It’s dangerous for her to stay in her yard - the garage next door is still mined,” he said.

Do you remember Reeny? Thank you all for your kind comments! Today my friend Olena visited her. Relatives of the deceased Tetiana were found and are ready to take Reeny in. It’s dangerous for her to stay in her yard - the garage next door is still mined.#StandUpForUkrainepic.twitter.com/JyLzAvpdGc

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 11, 2022

The story is one of many horrific reports of rape emerging from Ukraine, as the conflict nears its two-month point.

One of Putin’s soldiers was reportedly arrested after a video of a baby being raped was shared online.

The soldier, believed to be just 24, is said to have filmed himself abusing the baby before sending the sickening footage to a Russian comrade, The Sun reported.

Alexei Bychkov was detained in Russia on Saturday after the vile clip emerged on social media over the weekend.

The day before, a threat about Bychkov was published on Twitter detailing the horror abuse.

In the footage, he is reported to say he is recording a “fierce video” before assaulting the baby.

On April 8, Ukraine’s Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights Lyudmila Denisova said Russian soldiers had kidnapped more than 120,000 Ukrainian children.

Some of them were reportedly raped, and thousands have allegedly been smuggled over the Russian border.

Denisova said that Russian troops raped an 11-year-old boy in the town of Bucha, while five soldiers also sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl, who had become pregnant.

The same day, Ukrainian official Oleksandr Vilkul claimed Putin’s forces raped a 16-year-old girl and an elderly woman, 78, in their latest acts of barbarism.

“There is news that makes my blood run cold in my veins,” said Vilkul, the head of the military administration of Kryvyi Rih, in a video posted on Facebook.

“While rebuilding a peaceful life in the villages liberated in the Kherson region, a task we are currently working on, we are confronted with more and more horror stories.”

Tetiana from Makariv (near Kyiv) was raped and murdered by a russian soldier near her home. Video shows local people telling about this tragedy. Tomorrow international journalists will be working at the crime scene.#GenocideOfUkrainians#WarCrimesOfUkrainepic.twitter.com/7BZNopgzk9

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 10, 2022

Originally published as Ukrainian official shares heartbreaking story behind video of dog in war-torn town