UN Report Unveils Disturbing Sexual Violence by Russian Forces in Ukraine

WHO:

euronews.com - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed alarm over sexual violence in Ukraine.

euronews.com - Russian troops are identified as the primary perpetrators of sexual violence in Ukraine.

WHAT:

euronews.com - The UN report documented more than 1,000 cases of sexual violence since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

euronews.com - The report details that 89% of the perpetrators in the 1,004 cases are Russian troops.

euronews.com - The report includes testimonies of sexual violence involving victims as young as 4 and as old as 82.

euronews.com - The most common method of torture recorded was the use of a "tapik" to administer electric shocks, with 155 cases (27% of total) involving this form of abuse.

NY Post - The report describes acts of rape, gang rape, genital mutilation, electric shocks, and beatings of prisoners' genitals.

WHERE:

euronews.com - The report covers incidents in occupied Ukrainian territory, including regions like Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.

euronews.com - Specific incidents occurred in the Kyiv region.

WHEN:

euronews.com - The report covers the period from 24 February 2022 to the end of July 2026.

euronews.com - Russia was added to the UN Secretary-General's list of parties suspected of committing sexual violence in conflict in May of this year.

euronews.com - Russia formally withdrew from the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture in September 2025.

WHY:

euronews.com - The UN report highlights a "shocking pattern of torture, intimidation and coercion" as a reason for documenting these cases.

euronews.com - The Ukrainian foreign ministry stated the report demonstrates the scale of systematic human rights violations committed by the Russian Federation.

HOW:

euronews.com - The report is based on confidential interviews with hundreds of victims, along with court documents and official records.

euronews.com - The report details the use of systematic rape as a weapon of war, which has been codified as a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

(UPDATED September 19, 2026 20:56 UTC)

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed alarm over a recent report detailing more than 1,000 cases of sexual violence in Ukraine, primarily attributed to Russian troops. The report, which covers incidents from February 24, 2022, to the end of July 2026, reveals a shocking pattern of torture and intimidation, with testimonies from victims ranging in age from just 4 to 82 years old. It highlights the use of systematic rape as a weapon of war, a practice that has been classified as a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.