2 hrs ago
UN Reports Widespread Sexual Violence in Russia-Ukraine War
A United Nations report examined sexual violence during the Russia-Ukraine war.
It found 1,004 verified cases between February 2022 and July 2026.
The report said most cases were linked to Russian personnel.
It also found a smaller number of cases linked to Ukrainian authorities.
Some victims were raped, beaten or tortured.
Some men reported electric shocks and other abuse to their genitals.
Many victims were prisoners of war or people held in detention.
The UN said men made up most detained victims, although women and children were also affected.
The UN warned that the real number of cases is probably higher because many incidents are not reported.
The United Nations documented 1,004 verified cases of conflict-related sexual violence between February 2022 and July 2026.
The report attributed 89% of cases to Russian personnel and 11% to Ukrainian authorities.
Reported abuses included rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, beatings and electric shocks to men’s genitals.
Most victims in detention were men, particularly prisoners of war and civilian detainees.
The UN said the figures likely underestimate the true scale because sexual violence is under-reported and Russia denied access to occupied areas and detainees.
- Who
- The United Nations human rights office documented abuses attributed mainly to Russian personnel and, to a lesser extent, Ukrainian authorities.
- What
- A report documented conflict-related sexual violence, including rape, genital mutilation, beatings and electric shocks.
- Where
- The violations were reported in occupied areas of Ukraine, within Russia and in Ukrainian government-controlled territory.
- When
- The documented cases occurred between February 2022 and July 2026; the report was released on Friday.
- Why
- The report was issued to document abuses and assess efforts to prevent, investigate and prosecute conflict-related sexual violence.
UN Findings
Government Responses
Responsibility for violations
UN Findings
The UN attributed 89% of documented cases to Russian personnel and 11% to Ukrainian authorities, while saying the figures were not comprehensive.
Government Responses
Russia’s permanent diplomatic mission in Geneva declined to comment. Ukraine welcomed the report’s findings about violations by Russia but did not directly address abuses attributed to Ukrainian forces.
Prevention and accountability
UN Findings
The report said Russia had not taken steps to prevent, investigate or prosecute sexual violence by its personnel, while Ukraine had taken some preventive steps and cooperated with UN requests.
Government Responses
The report said Ukraine’s efforts to ensure accountability remained limited, despite its cooperation with the UN human rights office.
Key facts
- Verified cases
- 1,004 cases of conflict-related sexual violence
- Reporting period
- February 2022 to July 2026
- Cases attributed to Russia
- 89%
- Cases attributed to Ukraine
- 11%
- Reported abuses
- Rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, beatings and electric shocks to genitals
- Detention locations reporting abuse
- 10 official facilities and 55 unofficial or transit locations for Russian and third-country prisoners of war
- UN access concern
- Russia denied the UN human rights office access to occupied Ukrainian territory, prisoners of war and civilian detainees
Quotes
Danielle Bell
Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine
“Sexual violence in conflict is often misunderstood to be mainly affecting women and girls, where in the Ukraine war context, the majority of survivors are men”
NDTV
“And men and women require different solutions and approaches to their recovery”
NDTV
Volker Turk
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
“I am deeply alarmed by the prevalence of these abhorrent acts documented in our report and fear that they are almost certainly continuing amid the unceasing violence we are witnessing every day in Ukraine”
NDTV
Sources
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