Sexual Violence in the Context of the Russian Federation Full-Scale Armed Attack against Ukraine
Summary
1. This thematic report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) provides an analysis of data, trends and patterns of conflict-related sexual violence1 perpetrated in the context of the Russian Federation’s full-scale armed attack against Ukraine. It is based on the findings of OHCHR’s Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine 2 (HRMMU), during the period from 24 February 2022 through 31 July 2026. 3 It builds upon OHCHR’s monitoring, documentation and public reporting of sexual violence in Ukraine since 2014. 4 Its findings are assessed against the applicable international human rights law framework.5
2. During the reporting period, OHCHR documented 1004 6 cases 7 of sexual violence perpetrated in both detention and non-detention contexts. These findings, while representative, are not intended as a comprehensive account of sexual violence, which in Ukraine, as in other contexts, is underreported. The patterns observed indicate that sexual violence has been used as a method of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment against prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians.
3. The majority of these cases verified by OHCHR - 89 per cent - are attributed to Russian Federation authorities, including members of the Russian armed forces, the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN), and the Federal Security Service (FSB). Eleven per cent of the verified cases are attributed to Ukrainian authorities, including members of the Ukrainian armed forces, the State Penitentiary Service, and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
4. In occupied territory of Ukraine and in the Russian Federation, Russian Federation authorities perpetrated acts of sexual violence against Ukrainian POWs and retained medical personnel and detained Ukrainian civilians, including men and women, on a widespread basis. Violations occurred across the full cycle of internment or detention, respectively: upon capture or arrest, during transfer, during admission to internment and detention facilities or places, during interrogation, throughout internment or detention, including during cell searches and showers, and immediately prior to exchange or release. Violations included gang rape, rape, attempted rape, genital mutilation, sexual assault, electric shocks to genitals, beating of genitals, forced nudity, electric shocks or beatings to the body while nude, degrading treatment of a sexual nature, threats of sexual violence, and other forms of sexual violence. Outside the context of detention, in areas under Russian occupation, primarily women and girls were subjected to rape, including gang rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault. They also endured forced nudity, threats of sexual violence, and other forms of sexual violence, mainly in residential settings.
5. The Russian Federation has failed to take any discernible steps to prevent, investigate, or prosecute sexual violence committed by its personnel. It has enacted legal provisions that provide broad impunity for crimes, including sexual violence, committed during military service and has not engaged with OHCHR on the matter of sexual violence.
6. In Government-controlled territory, almost half of the violations by Ukrainian authorities against Russian and third-country national POWs and conflict-related detainees 8 comprised exclusively threats of sexual violence. Violations also included attempted rape, sexual assault, electric shocks to genitals, beating of genitals, forced nudity, electric shocks or beatings to the body while nude, and degrading treatment of a sexual nature, largely perpetrated during the initial stages of captivity.
7. OHCHR notes that the Government of Ukraine has taken a number of concrete steps to prevent and address such violations by its personnel, including through legal reforms, command-level directives, and regular cooperation with OHCHR and other monitoring mechanisms. However, steps toward accountability remain limited: OHCHR is not aware of any cases moving beyond the investigative stage.
8. This document aims to support national and international efforts to ensure truth, justice, and reparation for survivors, and to prevent recurrence. It sets out concrete recommendations to the parties to the conflict, competent national authorities, and international partners to strengthen prevention, protection, accountability, and survivor-centred support.
1. See Methodology for details concerning the forms of sexual violence covered in this report.
2. OHCHR deployed the HRMMU on 14 March 2014 to monitor and report on the human rights situation throughout Ukraine, with particular attention to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, eastern and southern regions of Ukraine, and to propose recommendations to the Government and other actors to address human rights concerns. For more information, see A/HRC/27/75, paras. 7-8.
3. The data, trends and patterns set out in this report are also reflected in the Secretary General’s annual reports on conflict-related sexual violence. See S/2026/321, 21 April 2026; S/2025/389, 15 July 2025; S/2024/292, 4 April 2024; S/2023/413, 22 June 2023.
4. See OHCHR report: Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Ukraine, 17 February 2017.
5. See para. 15 infra.
6. This includes 984 cases perpetrated during the reporting period and 20 cases which occurred prior to 2022 but were previously unreported by OHCHR. See paras. 32 and 42 and footnotes 30 and 37 infra.
7. Many survivors interviewed by OHCHR were unable to quantify the number of sexual violence incidents they experienced. For example, some civilian women were subjected to multiple rapes over time, and many POWs faced repeated forced nudity or beatings or electric shocks to the genitals, sometimes in different places of internment. Accordingly, this report does not provide a total number of incidents. Instead, OHCHR reports the number of cases, with each case representing a single survivor and potentially involving multiple incidents.
8. The term “conflict-related detainee” refers to civilians detained under charges set out in articles 109 to 114-2, 258 to 258-6, 260, and 436 to 442 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, including such crimes as treason, sabotage and collaboration activities.
