After her release, she did not go to the police. She remained silent for a long time to protect her children. At first, because they were still living in territory occupied by Moscow's army, and then, after they joined her on the Ukrainian side of the front line, because "these things are not their concern," even though "one day they will know everything." She kept silent also because it seemed unlikely that the Russian officer who had imprisoned her and raped her would ever be brought to justice. She believed she was just one woman among many living through the nightmare of Russian occupation and that her rapist was just one among many, safe in Russia, in a sea of impunity.

Since the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022, the Ukrainian police and justice system have embarked on a titanic, almost impossible mission: to investigate every crime committed during the war, from the most serious to the most trivial, from the worst killings of innocent civilians to looting and theft. Tens of thousands of cases are under investigation. So far, indictments have been issued against 679 individuals (171 Ukrainians and 508 Russians), including 53 accused of crimes involving sexual violence, and courts have convicted 189 people for war crimes (19 in custody and 170 in absentia).

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