UN blacklists Russian and Israeli armies for conflict-related sexual violence
The 35-page report, which Israel's mission to the UN released late Thursday evening, blacklists 77 governmental and non-governmental organizations from 12 countries. All are suspected of committing or bearing responsibility for sexual violence during conflicts in different parts of the world.
The document also states that in 2025, the number of cases of conflict-related sexual violence rose sharply compared with 2024.
Israeli forces were added to the blacklist for the first time over their treatment of detained Palestinians. Israel rejects the allegations.
Russian armed forces and security agencies were also listed for the first time over sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilians detained during the war in Ukraine.
The report stresses that Russian authorities systematically deny UN human rights investigators access.
Despite this, the organization managed to verify 310 cases of conflict-related sexual violence on Russian territory and in occupied Ukrainian territories. These crimes targeted prisoners of war and civilians.
According to the report, the vast majority of victims are men.
It also notes separately that Ukrainian human rights defenders documented 31 cases of conflict-related sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilians. Most of these cases occurred before 2025.
Last year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Russia and Israel that they could be added to the list.
After the report was released, the ambassadors of both countries expressed outrage at the UN's decision and criticized Guterres.
Background
It is worth adding that Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, previously said the youngest victim of conflict-related sexual violence committed by Russian troops was four years old. According to him, the victims include children, women, and men.
As Rubryka reported, the return of Russian troops from the war against Ukraine has brought a wave of violence and rising crime to Russia itself. Former combatants have already killed or maimed more than 1,000 people, creating a serious internal threat for Russia.
As a reminder, Kyiv Independent journalists identified two Russian soldiers who were involved in the rape of two women during the occupation of Kyiv and Kherson regions in March 2022.
Also in March 2024, First Lady Olena Zelenska said that since the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine had registered 274 cases under the article on "sexual violence."
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