#crsv

As Ukraine seeks to prosecute over 140,000 war crimes cases, the international legal landscape and its accountability mechanisms directly impact efforts to deliver justice to victims/survivors of conflict. A recent report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine found that sexual violence has been used systematically by Russian authorities as a method of torture in detention settings. The report underscores that conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) affects civilians and prisoners of war alike and constitutes a significant proportion of war crimes being prosecuted in Ukraine. However, international mechanisms critical to upholding accountability have come under attack. US President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order in February 2025 authorizing sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), including its Chief Prosecutor. Concurrent freezes on foreign aid are also disrupting accountability and justice initiatives in Ukraine and beyond. What does this mean for victims of sexual violence and broader efforts to pursue accountability? This event examines: • The gendered impact of conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine. • Practical options and creative pathways for sustaining transitional justice efforts in a constrained and shifting geopolitical environment. • The growing threats to international justice, and the implications for peace and accountability in Ukraine. This event is organised in partnership with All Survivors Project, with project funding from Global Affairs Canada and the Peace and Human Rights Division, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Speakers Event chaired by Vitaly Shevchenko. Russia Editor, BBC Monitoring Kateryna Busol Former Academy Associate, Russia and Eurasia Programme Khrystyna Kit Founder and Chairwoman, Ukrainian Women Lawyers Association (JurFem) Oleksiy Sivak Coordinator, Network of Ukrainian Men Who Survived Captivity and Torture (Alumni)

It means--

Men feel they are able to report it, which is a good thing

There is a lot of it, which is horrifying.

I know why: because sexual violence is used in places of detention as an interrogation tactic as well as dehumanization. It is systematic. Men are more frequently captured as POWs although women POWs (and civilians) experience CRSV as well.

Conflict-related sexual violence: More men than women have now applied to the Urgent Interim Reparations for Victims project

The number of victims of conflict-related sexual violence may be 10 times higher than official statistics

According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, there are currently 322 victims who have volunteered to participate in criminal proceedings and report conflict-related sexual violence committed against them. Currently, this is 207 women and 115 men. However, the actual number of victims may be 10 times higher.

This was discussed during a briefing at the Media Center Ukraine.

According to Kateryna Levchenko, the Government Commissioner for Gender Policy, statistics may not fully reflect the real number of victims of conflict-related sexual violence.

"Indeed, the statistics that we have, law enforcement agencies, are the tip of the iceberg. The same is true of statistics from social services and public organizations. And we understand that behind each identified case there are at least 10 that no one knows about, that are kept quiet about," added Kateryna Levchenko.

The UNFPA, citing psychologists working with victims, disclosed that Russian forces have sent videos of male Ukrainian detainees being raped to their families, either to blackmail them or to inflict further humiliation.