United Nations, Sept 19:
The United Nations has documented more than 1,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with the latest report describing a pattern of abuse involving civilians and prisoners of war.
According to the UN Human Rights Office, 1,004 cases were documented between February 2022 and July 2026. The report attributes 89 per cent of the documented cases to Russian authorities and forces, while 11 per cent were attributed to Ukrainian authorities. The UN stressed that the figures represent documented cases and that the actual number could be higher.
The report says most documented victims were men, particularly prisoners of war and people held in detention. Women and children were also among those affected, particularly in territories under Russian occupation.
The UN described rape, genital mutilation, electric shocks, beatings and threats of sexual violence among the reported forms of abuse. The cases were documented across different periods and locations during the conflict, including detention facilities and occupied areas.
The UN said access restrictions have affected its ability to investigate cases. Russia has not granted UN investigators access to occupied territories or detention facilities under its control, limiting the organisation’s ability to establish the full scale of violations.
The report also documents allegations against Ukrainian authorities. These included threats of sexual violence and genital beatings, although the UN said it had not documented rape of Russian prisoners of war by Ukrainian forces in the cases examined.
The findings underline the continuing difficulty of investigating sexual violence during an active war. The UN has called for accountability and for survivors to receive appropriate support and protection.
The report comes as fighting continues and diplomatic efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict remain unresolved. The UN has repeatedly stressed that international humanitarian law applies to all parties and that civilians and prisoners of war must be protected.