Gender-based violence in the context of war is not only a violation of human rights but also a systematic tool of aggression and control. The Russian-Ukrainian war has shown how sexual violence and torture are used to intimidate, coerce, and discredit civilians, journalists, and prisoners of war. Understanding the scale and specificity of this phenomenon is crucial for effective documentation, support for victims, and holding perpetrators accountable.
1. Before 2022: Early Signs of Conflict-Induced Vulnerability
Even before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, alarming signs of gender-based violence were recorded in conflict-affected areas of Ukraine. These phenomena were not fully studied; however, they laid the groundwork for further escalation.
Emergence of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV): Prior to 2022, isolated yet credible reports indicated cases of rape, forced nudity, sexual threats, and harassment during detentions, searches, or interrogations in unstable regions. These acts served as tools of humiliation and domination rather than random crimes.
Places of detention as high-risk environments: Human rights defenders documented cases of sexualized methods used during interrogations — forced stripping, threats of rape, psychological humiliation.
Under-reporting and limited access: Weak institutional presence, lack of services for survivors, and fear of reprisals meant that many incidents never reached official statistics.
Institutional gaps: Before 2022, Ukraine lacked a comprehensive system for responding to CRSV; access to medical, psychological, and legal support in affected regions was extremely limited.
Thus, even in the early phase, CRSV was clearly a structural risk, especially in places of detention and occupied territories.
2. Current Situation (2023–2025): Escalation, Trends, Dynamics
After the start of the full-scale war, a sharp rise in violence-related crimes has been observed. This is confirmed by the UN, Ukrainian authorities, and independent human rights organizations.
2.1 Scale and Documentation of Sexual Violence
According to the UN (up to 2024), the number of documented CRSV cases increased sharply.
The 2024 UN Secretary-General’s report recorded 209 new cases, including rapes, electric shocks to the genitals, forced nudity, and threats of castration.
Between February 2022 and December 2024, the UN documented 433 CRSV cases:
302 men
119 women
10 girls
2 boys
Actual numbers are significantly higher due to stigma, danger, and lack of access to survivors.
2.2 Methods and Patterns of Torture
Documented methods demonstrate a systematic nature:
electric shocks to genitals and chest, beatings, mock executions, forced stripping, rape, threats of sexual violence.
Most incidents occur in places of detention (official and unofficial), filtration facilities, and during interrogations. Violence is used as punishment, coercion, and intimidation.
2.3 Civilian Victims and Displacement
According to UN Women (February 2025), since the invasion over 3,799 women and 289 girls have been killed.
More than 6.7 million women require humanitarian aid.
Communities experiencing destruction and displacement face increased risks of trafficking and gender-based violence.
2.4 Accountability and Legal Proceedings
The UN and the International Commission of Inquiry view these actions as war crimes and potential crimes against humanity.
Human Rights Watch notes that real convictions remain rare: most cases proceed in absentia, evidence is difficult to obtain, and survivors have limited access.
3. Types of Violence: Who Suffers
3.1 Civilian Women in Occupied Territories
Common forms:
sexual violence during searches, torture in detention, threats to family members, lack of assistance and inability to report crimes.
3.2 Minors
Among the 433 victims recorded by the UN were 10 girls and 2 boys.
Girls in occupied territories face heightened risks of sexual exploitation, trafficking, and forced displacement.
3.3 Women Prisoners of War and Detainees
According to the UN:
CRSV has been documented against 85 POWs, two medics, and six civilians in detention sites.
Practices include rape, electric shocks, forced nudity, and sexual humiliation.
Cases of sexual mutilation and executions of POWs have been recorded.
Women also face lack of hygiene products, medical care, and privacy.
3.4 Other Groups
Women among internally displaced persons face heightened risks of sexual and labor exploitation, violence, and psychological trauma. The loss of housing, resources, and social networks makes them particularly vulnerable, while limited access to support complicates protection and assistance.
3.5 Women Journalists as Targets: Repression and Gender-Based Pressure
Ukrainian journalists work in one of the world’s most dangerous environments. According to PEN Ukraine (mid-2025), Russia committed 836 crimes against journalists and media — including killings, abductions, torture, newsroom shelling, and disappearances.
According to IFJ (International Federation of Journalists) / NUJU (National Union of Journalists of Ukraine), among around 30 journalists held by Russia, six are women. Women reporters are frequently subjected to sexualized threats, psychological pressure, and gender-based humiliation.
Viktoria Roshchyna is a tragic example. She was detained by Russian forces in August 2023 in occupied Zaporizhzhia region while performing her professional duties. During captivity, she was subjected to severe torture: electric shocks, beatings, stab wounds, and extreme deprivation.
Her body was returned to Ukraine in February 2025 with numerous signs of violence and injuries, indicating systematic torture. This case illustrates targeted persecution of women journalists aimed at intimidation, silencing, and obstructing documentation of war crimes.
Repression against journalists is not only an attack on individuals but an attempt to eliminate independent reporting and conceal war crimes, including sexual violence.
4. Conclusion: The Gendered Dimension of War and the Crisis of Justice
Violence against women and girls in the Russian–Ukrainian war is not incidental but a structural element of aggression. Sexual torture, rape, and violence in detention are used as tools of control, intimidation, and repression.
Despite hundreds of documented cases, the real scale is much larger. Stigma, danger, occupation, and lack of access to justice prevent a full account of crimes.
Addressing this crisis requires:
expanded documentation, including access to detention sites;
strengthened survivor support — medical, psychological, legal;
effective justice mechanisms, including universal jurisdiction and in-absentia proceedings;
long-term recovery and rehabilitation programs.
Understanding and responding to gender-based violence is not only a humanitarian task but a key condition for justice, peace, and Ukraine’s recovery.