The brutal attack was captured on video by witnesses
A transgender woman serving in Ukraine’s armed forces was assaulted on the streets of Lviv on Tuesday night, with the attacker reportedly hurling a slur before striking her in the face. A rights group has urged federal officials to take action on the case.
Identified only as Helen, the soldier told Kyiv Pride she was visiting the western Ukrainian city to be present for her mother’s funeral, but was accosted by a man who began “talking aggressively.”
“Helen asked him to leave, and the next second the man punched her in the nose, saying ‘What are you, a f*g?’” the LGBTQ org said in a social media post. “The blow knocked Helen off balance and he punched her several more times until she managed to move a few meters away.”
Parts of the attack were captured on video both by Helen and a bystander, with the soldier seen bloodied after taking a kick to the face. She said that while some people witnessed the assault, none attempted to intervene. Footage of the incident appears to show that one man attempted to grab the attacker, but quickly gave up and allowed him to walk away.
