UN report uncovers pervasive sexual violence among Ukrainian POWs

- Over half of the Ukrainian prisoners of war whom the UN mission in Ukraine spoke with reported they were victims of sexual violence during their internment, said Attorney General Andrij Kostin in New York.

Andrij Kostin took part in a UN summit organized to combat sexual violence against men and boys to maintain international peace and security, reports the Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform.

According to Kostin, the war triggered by Russia presents "an unusual picture of armed conflict". The Ukrainian Attorney General stated that Russian aggressors are committing acts of violence against both women and men.

- This is an undeniable indicator that it is a part of Russia's aggressive policy, where gender, age, or the status of the victim does not matter. Russians are committing these crimes against anyone who identifies as Ukrainian, stressed Kostin.

- Over half of the Ukrainian prisoners of war with whom the UN mission in Ukraine spoke reported they were victims of sexual violence, including attempted rape, threats of rape and castration, and beating or electric shock to the genitals, conveyed Kostin.

The Attorney General also noted that Russia must be held responsible for crimes of aggression and genocide, in addition to over 126,000 other war crimes committed in Ukraine since 2022.

The UN Monitoring Mission in Ukraine released its report from December 1, 2023, to February 29, 2024, in March.