UN report exposes 900+ sexual assaults by Russian troops in Ukraine
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission released a report detailing almost 900 cases of sexual violence committed by Russian soldiers, prison staff, and security officers against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war. The findings include assaults on children as young as four, widespr…
By Felo News Desk · Published
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMM) released a comprehensive report on Friday that documents a staggering 892 incidents of sexual violence carried out by Russian soldiers, prison staff, and national security service officers during the ongoing conflict. The report lists victims ranging from four‑year‑old children to 82‑year‑old women, and details a range of abuses including rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, electric shocks, and beatings of genitals.
Scope of the Abuse
According to the HRMM, 725 of the victims were men, while 151 were women. The report identifies 16 children who were sexually assaulted, including a four‑year‑old girl and an 82‑year‑old woman. The assaults took place between the start of Russia’s full‑scale invasion on 24 February 2022 and 31 July 2023. The data show that 75% of former prisoners of war and nearly half of all Ukrainian civilians held captive by Russian forces reported being assaulted more than once.
Methods of Torture and Abuse
- Electric shocks to breasts and genitals
- Forced nudity and beatings while naked
- Compulsion to watch sexual violence against other captives
- Tasing of genitals with a Soviet‑era field telephone known as a “tapik”
- Sodomy with a police baton or forced penetration with cell‑door keys
- Rape with the handle of a shovel
In addition to the physical assaults, the report highlights that Ukrainian medical personnel were also targeted, with detained civilians being sexually assaulted during interrogations and throughout internment. The report characterises the violence against prisoners of war as “frequent and systematic,” noting that Russia has taken no discernible steps to prevent, investigate, or prosecute these crimes.
Case Studies and Personal Accounts
One of the most harrowing testimonies comes from Viktoria Martsyniuk, a mother from a rural village northwest of Kyiv. Martsyniuk stated that a Russian soldier, roughly the same age as her sons, raped her. She also recounted that her neighbor was gang‑raped by a group of Russians and then forced to witness the shooting of her husband at point‑blank range. The soldier who raped her was never brought to justice, a fact that has left Martsyniuk and many others seeking closure.
Another victim, an unnamed woman in Izyum, was raped by Russian soldiers and later hit by shrapnel. She survived the assault but remains traumatized by the experience. These individual stories underscore the broader pattern of sexual violence that the HRMM has documented across Ukraine.
International Response and Calls for Action
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk released a statement expressing deep alarm at the prevalence of these abhorrent acts. He warned that the violence is “almost certainly continuing” amid the ongoing conflict. Türk called for an immediate halt to sexual violence, regardless of the perpetrators, and demanded that Russia take concrete steps to protect civilians and prisoners of war from torture and sexual violence.
The report also notes that Russia has committed 89% of all sex crimes during its invasion, compared with 11% attributed to Ukrainian forces. The United Nations therefore urges the Russian Federation to enact legal provisions that prevent impunity for such crimes and to prosecute those responsible.
What Happens Next?
While the HRMM report has brought international attention to the issue, the UN has yet to see concrete changes on the ground. The report calls for independent investigations, accountability mechanisms, and the establishment of safe spaces for survivors. The international community, including the European Union and the United States, has pledged to support Ukraine in documenting and prosecuting war crimes, but the process remains slow and fraught with political obstacles.
For now, survivors continue to live with the physical and psychological scars of these atrocities. The UN and human rights advocates stress the importance of continued monitoring and reporting to ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished.
Key facts
- UN HRMM documents 892 sexual violence incidents by Russian forces
- 16 children, including a 4‑year‑old, were assaulted
- Russian soldiers used electric shocks, beatings, and forced nudity
- 75% of former POWs reported repeated assaults
- Russia responsible for 89% of all sex crimes in the conflict
- UN urges immediate action and accountability
Why it matters
The report exposes the systematic use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, highlighting the urgent need for accountability and protection of civilians and prisoners of war in Ukraine.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the data in the report?
The data comes from the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, which collected testimonies from victims and witnesses.
Are there any steps being taken to prosecute the perpetrators?
The report calls for Russia to investigate and prosecute the crimes, but no concrete legal actions have been taken yet.
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Russian troops’ barbaric rape campaign in Ukraine includes 4-year-old girl, UN details in alarming report”
