UN report reveals the scale of sexual violence during the war
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights documented 1004 cases of sexual violence related to the war in Ukraine. In 89% of verified cases, responsibility was attributed to Russian authorities, including military personnel, employees of the Federal Penitentiary Service, and the FSB.
The data covers the period from February 24, 2022, to July 31, 2026. The UN emphasizes that 1004 cases do not reflect the real scale of the problem: sexual violence during armed conflicts is significantly underestimated, and one documented case may include multiple episodes of violence against a single person.
The report states that in the occupied territories of Ukraine and in Russia, sexual violence against Ukrainian prisoners of war, detained medical personnel, and civilian detainees was used on a widespread basis. Such violations were recorded during capture or detention, during transport, interrogations, detention, and before exchange or release.
The monitoring mission recorded rapes, sexual assaults, forced nudity, threats of sexual violence, and other forms of sexual abuse. The UN concluded that sexual violence was used also as a method of torture, intimidation, and coercion.
Most victims in places of detention are men
According to the UN, a significant part of the documented cases occur in places of detention, with men predominantly among the victims there. Women and children more often became victims of sexual violence outside detention facilities in the occupied territories.
Separately, the monitoring mission documented sexual violence against 95 civilians outside places of detention, mainly women and girls. Among them were 57 victims of rape, including gang rapes. The youngest documented rape victim, according to the OHCHR, was a four-year-old girl, the oldest – an 82-year-old woman. In both cases, the UN attributed responsibility to the Russian authorities.
The UN stressed that the cases known to organizations are only part of the real scale. The monitoring mission was able to interview about 10% of released Ukrainian prisoners of war. In addition, UN representatives do not have access to territories occupied by Russia, so they can document testimonies of civilians who were there mainly after they have left for territory controlled by Ukraine.
UN also recorded violations by the Ukrainian side
The remaining 11% of verified cases were attributed by the UN to the Ukrainian authorities – representatives of the Armed Forces, the penitentiary system, and the SBU. They concerned Russian and third-country nationals among prisoners of war and those detained in connection with the war.
At the same time, the UN points to differences in the scale and nature of the violations. Almost half of the documented cases by Ukrainian representatives consisted exclusively of threats of sexual violence. Ukraine provided the UN monitoring mission with unimpeded access to places of detention and took a number of measures to prevent violations, including legislative changes, command orders, and cooperation with international observers. However, the UN considers Ukraine's progress in holding perpetrators accountable insufficient.
Regarding Russia, the UN stated that it had not identified any noticeable actions to prevent, investigate, or prosecute sexual violence committed by Russian personnel. The Russian authorities also do not provide the monitoring mission with access to relevant places of detention. According to the UN, a copy of the new report was provided to Russia, but at the time of its publication, Moscow had not responded.
The report is based on confidential interviews with hundreds of victims and survivors of sexual violence, as well as court materials, official documents, and other data collected by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.
Based on materials from: UN Human Rights Office, report of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine
