Since the start of the Russian Federation's invasion, 401 cases of sexual violence against civilians have been recorded
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 401 cases of sexual violence against civilians have been documented, the prosecutor general said. The victims included 250 women and 151 men.
This was reported by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.
“Conflict-related sexual violence is one of Russia’s most egregious war crimes. And it has no statute of limitations. For Russia, sexual violence is not a ‘side effect’ of war. It is an instrument of terror. A way to break a person, humiliate them, and sow fear in the occupied territories and in torture chambers,” the Prosecutor General noted.
According to Kravchenko, the Russian army has been added by the UN to the “blacklist”—a list of shame—of parties responsible for sexual violence in armed conflict.
“Since the start of the full-scale invasion, 401 cases of sexual violence against Ukrainian civilians have been documented. The victims include 250 women and 151 men, among them 23 underage girls and one boy. And these are only the cases that people were able to report. Incidents of sexual violence against Ukrainian military personnel are being investigated separately,” Kravchenko noted.
The highest number of victims was recorded in the Kherson, Donetsk, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Kravchenko emphasized that the Ukrainian justice system is already taking action. 116 Russian military personnel have been notified of their status as suspects. A total of 64 indictments against 81 individuals have been filed in court. A total of 148 cases of war crimes have been solved. Ukrainian courts have already handed down 19 verdicts against 26 individuals. All those convicted received prison sentences.
“Yes, most of the criminals are in hiding in Russia. But that does not mean impunity. For each verdict, we have established the facts, identified the perpetrators, gathered evidence, and laid the legal groundwork for holding Russia accountable, particularly in international forums,” Kravchenko emphasized.
He stressed that the victims are the priority for the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office.
“We work according to a victim-centered approach: without pressure, without stigma, and with respect for human dignity. Together with international partners, civil society, and charitable organizations, we ensure access to medical, psychological, social, and legal assistance. Victims should not be left to cope with their experiences alone,” Kravchenko noted.
According to him, it is important that every crime be documented and that victims receive assistance and protection.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure that everyone guilty of these crimes is punished,” Kravchenko concluded on Facebook.
Earlier reports indicated that Prosecutor General Kravchenko had not signed the documents for Mindich’s extradition for two weeks.
The Prosecutor General’s Office denied rumors of Ruslan Kravchenko’s resignation.
Kravchenko also discussed the investigation into Russian war crimes during his visit to the United States.
