United Nations reports Russian sexual violence in Ukraine and global repression

United Nations experts have issued warnings regarding systemic human rights abuses perpetrated by the Russian Federation. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk reported that Russian forces are increasingly using sexual violence as a weapon in the war against Ukraine to “torture, intimidate and coerce” civilians and prisoners of war. Of over 1,000 documented cases, 89 percent were attributed to Russian authorities, with victims including men, women, and children.

Additionally, UN Special Rapporteur Mariana Katzarova detailed a global campaign of transnational repression. She described a state-run system designed to monitor, intimidate, and punish Russian critics living abroad, often by targeting their families within Russia. Katzarova noted that since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russia has become one of the most prolific actors in cross-border coercion, employing methods such as assassinations, physical assaults, and poisonings to silence dissent.