UN report documents over 1,000 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine since 2022
The UN Human Rights Office has documented around 1,004 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine between 24 February 2022 and the end of July of the reporting year, attributing 89% of cases to representatives of Russian authorities. The report, based on confidential interviews with hundreds of victims as well as court documents and official records, details specific methods including rape, genital mutilation, and the use of Soviet-era "tapik" field telephones to deliver electric shocks to victims' genitals. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for the immediate cessation of hostilities and a full Russian withdrawal from Ukraine.
Key points
- The UN Human Rights Office published a report documenting around 1,004 cases of conflict-related sexual violence from 24 February 2022 to the end of July of the reporting year.
- 89% of cases were attributed to representatives of Russian authorities, including the armed forces, penitentiary service and national security service.
- 11% of cases concerned actions by representatives of Ukrainian authorities.
- Documented violations include gang rape, rape, genital mutilation, beatings, electric shocks to genitals and other sexually humiliating acts.
- 155 persons (27%) experienced electric shocks to the genitals via a Soviet-era field telephone device known as a 'tapik' or electroshock weapon.
- The youngest documented rape survivor was a 4-year-old girl and the oldest was an 82-year-old woman; both were victimized by representatives of Russian authorities.
- The majority of victims were men, particularly in places of detention; women and children were affected mostly in occupied territory.
- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated that sexual violence is a serious component of the armed attack on Ukraine and must be stopped immediately regardless of who commits it.
- Türk called on Russia to immediately, fully and unconditionally cease the use of force and withdraw all armed forces from Ukrainian territory.
Why it matters
This report provides the first systematic UN tally of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion and offers evidence-based attribution of violations to specific state actors on both sides, including the share attributed to Ukrainian authorities. It documents specific methods used — notably the use of Soviet-era "tapik" field telephones to apply electric shocks to victims' genitals — and calls direct attention to victims in detention and in occupied territory, including a 4-year-old girl and an 82-year-old woman. The report also carries a formal UN demand that Russia cease the use of force and withdraw its armed forces from Ukraine, making it a significant document for ongoing accountability efforts.
What happened
The UN Human Rights Office published a report on sexual violence related to Russia's full-scale armed attack on Ukraine. The report covers the period from 24 February 2022 to the end of July of the reporting year and is based on confidential interviews with hundreds of victims of sexual violence, as well as court documents and official records.
According to the report, around 1,004 cases of sexual violence were documented during this period. Of these, 89% were attributed to representatives of Russian authorities — including the armed forces, penitentiary service and national security service — while 11% concerned actions by representatives of Ukrainian authorities.
Documented violations include gang rape, rape, mutilation of genitals, electric shocks and beatings of genitals, and other sexually humiliating acts. 155 persons (27%) experienced the use of electric current on genitals via a "tapik" or electroshock weapon at least once; Soviet military field telephone devices known as "tapik" were used by Russian forces for this purpose. The youngest documented rape survivor was a 4-year-old girl and the oldest was an 82-year-old woman; in both cases, the sexual violence was committed by representatives of Russian authorities.
The majority of victims were men, especially in places of detention, while women and children — mostly in occupied territory — were also affected. Almost half of the violations attributed to Ukrainian authorities regarding Russian and third-country prisoners of war consisted of threats of sexual violence.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated that sexual violence is a serious component of the full-scale armed attack on Ukraine and must be stopped immediately regardless of who commits it. He also called on Russia to immediately, fully and unconditionally cease the use of force against Ukraine and withdraw all its armed forces from the territory of Ukraine in accordance with the UN Charter and binding norms of international law.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the documented facts indicate the seriousness and scale of the problem of sexual violence, and that Russia continues to use sexual violence as an instrument of war and intimidation of the Ukrainian population. The ministry called for holding those responsible accountable and ensuring justice for victims, and said Ukraine will continue to work with international partners to document Russian crimes and ensure accountability for all those involved. It also said the international community must continue to increase pressure on Russia and support Ukraine in investigating war crimes.