The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a report on Friday confirming 1,004 verified instances of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine. The data, spanning from the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 through July 2026, paints a grim picture of systemic abuse. Russian forces, including members of the armed forces, prison service, and security agencies, were responsible for 89% of these cases. Ukrainian authorities, including the armed forces, accounted for the remaining 11%.
The methods described by survivors are brutal. Russian forces committed gang rape, genital mutilation, and used electric shocks on men’s genitals via a Soviet-era field telephone known as a “tapik.” These atrocities occurred at every stage of captivity, from initial capture to transfer and interrogation. Most victims in detention were men, specifically prisoners of war and detainees, contradicting the common perception that sexual violence in war primarily affects women. Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, emphasized that survivors on both sides require distinct approaches to recovery.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry welcomed the report, stating it underscored the scale of Russian violations and highlighted Kyiv’s efforts to prevent such abuse and compensate victims. The statement did not directly address the specific findings regarding Ukrainian forces, though the report noted that nearly half of violations attributed to Ukraine involved threats of sexual violence and beatings to genitals. OHCHR did not document any cases of rape of Russian prisoners of war by Ukrainian forces. Russian and third-country prisoners reported abuse in 10 official detention facilities and 55 unofficial or transit locations. The Ukrainian government has taken some steps to prevent violations and cooperated with OHCHR requests, but accountability efforts remain limited, according to the report.
Russia’s permanent diplomatic mission in Geneva declined to comment on the findings. The report warns that the figures likely underestimate the true scale of the crisis because Russia has refused OHCHR access to occupied Ukrainian territory, prisoners of war, and civilian detainees. “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,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. The report concludes that Russia has failed to take steps to prevent, investigate, or prosecute sexual violence committed by its personnel and has not engaged with OHCHR’s requests for information.
The next step is unclear, as Russia’s refusal to allow independent access to occupied zones continues to hinder further investigation. Victims remain in limbo, with limited avenues for justice or compensation. The international community is left to weigh the report’s findings against the ongoing conflict, with no immediate diplomatic or legal actions announced in response.