UN report finds widespread sexual violence against Ukrainian prisoners

A United Nations human rights monitoring team has concluded that sexual violence against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees held by Russian authorities is widespread, with the abuse documented at more than 164 facilities across occupied Ukrainian territory and 25 regions of Russia.

The report, released on Friday and covering the four-and-a-half years since Russia's full-scale invasion, counted more than 1,000 cases through July. Monitors verified cases at both official and unofficial detention sites, from the earliest days of the invasion through 2026.

Danielle Bell, who heads the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said almost three-quarters of prisoner-of-war survivors and nearly half of civilian detainee survivors reported experiencing sexual violence more than once. The abuse occurred throughout captivity, she said, from capture and admission procedures to transfer, interrogation in cells, showers, and even before release or exchange.

"We documented the same practices occurring across facilities: rape, gang rape, beatings while nude, electric shocks or beatings of the genitals, sexual degradation and prolonged nudity and forced nudity," Bell said.

About 89% of verified cases were attributed to Russian authorities, including troops, members of the security service known as the FSB, and penitentiary authorities. The remainder were attributed to Ukrainian counterparts. The report draws on survivor testimonies, court documents, official records and other sources.

The oldest survivor of rape identified in the report was an 82-year-old woman; the youngest was a four-year-old girl. Both cases were attributed to Russian authorities.

Bell noted that sexual violence in conflict is often assumed to mainly affect women and girls, but in the Ukraine context the majority of survivors are men, requiring different approaches to recovery.

The report states that Russia has "failed to take any discernible steps" to prevent, investigate or prosecute sexual violence committed by its personnel. A copy was shared with Russian authorities before publication, and Bell said no response was received.

Bell said her team will continue documenting cases and working with Ukrainian authorities to place the facts on the public record, with the aim of contributing to future accountability. She added that the patterns of sexual violence set out in the report have remained consistent since the full-scale invasion, with no new patterns emerging.

The UN rights office hopes the findings could be used by prosecutors in future national or transnational justice proceedings.