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Woman strips off on Cannes red carpet to protest alleged Russian rapes in Ukraine

Watch: Woman strips off in Cannes red carpet protest

A woman stripped off her clothes to reveal the message “Stop raping us” in the blue and yellow colours of the Ukraine flag during a film premiere in Cannes.

The protester also shouted, “Don’t rape us!” as security guards quickly encircled her and took her off the red carpet on Friday.

Russia has been accused of widespread atrocities since attacking its neighbour in February, including allegations it has used rape as a tactic of war.

Ukraine has said it is investigating thousands of potential war crimes with hundreds of suspects.

The protester, who interrupted the premiere of Georg Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing, was identified as a member of SCUM, referring to the 1967 feminist SCUM manifesto.

Read more: Ukraine claims one-year-old boy died after being raped by Russian soldiers

A woman with the Ukrainian national colours painted on her body and reading
A woman with Ukrainian national colours painted on her body and reading "Stop raping us" protests in Cannes. (AFP)
Security personel block woman with the Ukrainian national colours painted on the body reading
Security personnel grab the woman. (AFP)

On Thursday, Ukraine claimed a one-year-old boy died from his injuries after being raped by Russian soldiers.

The boy was among more than 60 reports of rape in two days, which also included two 10-year-old boys from newly-liberated villages in the Kharkiv region, according to the Ukrainian Ombudswoman.

The allegations are the latest in a catalogue of claims of horrific violence by Russians in Ukraine that have shocked the international community.

There were also allegations girls aged as young as 14 had reported being raped by Russian soldiers.

Lyudmyla Denisova, the Ukrainian parliament's human rights commissioner, said 25 women and girls, aged from 14 to 24, had called a helpline reporting they had been raped in Bucha.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine has often been in the spotlight at this year’s Canne Film Festival, which is screening several films from Ukrainian filmmakers.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy received a standing ovation at the festival after delivering an address through video link.

Read more: Vladimir Putin is ‘the biggest war criminal of the 21st century’, Ukrainian prosecutor says

A woman with the Ukrainian national colours painted on her body, reading
The protester is taken away. (AFP)
British producer Doug Mitchell, Australian director and screenwriter George Miller, British actress Tilda Swinton and Brisith actor Idris Elba arrive for the screening of the film
(L-r) Producer Doug Mitchell, Director and screenwriter George Miller, actress Tilda Swinton and actor Idris Elba. (AFP)

Moscow denies committing war crimes or targeting civilians during a war that has killed thousands, devastated many cities and towns and forced millions to flee abroad.

Russia has accused Kyiv of genocide against Russian speakers, which Kyiv strongly denies.

Moscow has also opened criminal cases into Ukrainian servicemen's alleged torture of their Russian counterparts.

On Saturday, the Russian military claimed it had destroyed a major consignment of Western arms in Ukraine's Zhytomyr region, west of Kyiv, using sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles.

In a statement, the defence ministry said the strike took out "a large batch of weapons and military equipment delivered from the USA and European countries" and intended for Ukrainian troops in the eastern Donbas region where the fighting is concentrated.

It comes after Zelenskyy proposed a formal deal with the country's allies to secure Russian compensation for the damage its forces have caused during the war.

Zelenskyy, who says Russia is trying to destroy as much of Ukraine's infrastructure as possible, said such a deal would show nations planning aggressive acts that they would have to pay for their actions.