Russia Responsible for 89% of Sexual Violence Cases
Russian authorities are responsible for 89 percent of more than 1,000 documented cases of sexual violence during Moscow’s full-scale war against Ukraine, according to a UN Human Rights Office report. The abuses occurred in occupied regions and detention facilities, affecting mostly men, but also women and children.
A UN report has revealed that Russian authorities are responsible for the overwhelming majority of sexual violence cases during Russia's conflict with Ukraine, accounting for 89% of more than 1,000 documented instances. The report, released by the UN Human Rights Office, details abuses such as rape, genital mutilation, electric shocks to the genitals, and other degrading acts.
The cases spanned from the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022 to the end of July 2023, and included both Ukraine and Russian-held detention facilities. Danielle Bell, head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, noted that while both sides committed violations, the scope and scale differed greatly. Russian armed forces, prison officials, and security services were held responsible for 89% of the cases, while Ukrainian authorities were responsible for 11%.
Ukrainian authorities were accused of threats of sexual violence. Victims were predominantly men, particularly those held in Russian custody, with 155 Ukrainian prisoners of war and medical personnel subjected to electric shocks. The youngest survivor was a four-year-old girl, while the oldest was an 82-year-old woman. Both were victims of Russian authorities.
Despite Ukraine granting UN investigators unrestricted access to detention facilities, Russia has not done the same. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed deep alarm at the prevalence of these acts and fears they may continue amid ongoing violence.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
