'Rape, Genital Mutilation': How Russia Allegedly Uses Sexual Torture To Break Ukrainian Prisoners
'Rape, Genital Mutilation': How Russia Allegedly Uses Sexual Torture To Break Ukrainian Prisoners Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 15:06 IST According to the
'Rape, Genital Mutilation': How Russia Allegedly Uses Sexual Torture To Break Ukrainian Prisoners Published By, Last Updated: July 30, 2026, 15:06 IST According to the UN, among the 310 cases of alleged sexual violence by Russian forces under investigation, 280 victims are men, 26 are women, and four are girls. Rapid Read Ukrainian recruits attend a military training at an undisclosed location in Zaporizhzhia region, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP/File) Russia has allegedly used sexual violence as a systematic “weapon of war" against Ukrainian prisoners, with survivors, including soldiers and civilians, accusing Russian forces of rape and genital mutilation aimed at “humiliate and psychologically break" them, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Based on interviews with former detainees, along with testimonies from Ukrainian prosecutors and United Nations investigators, the report claims that both soldiers and civilians were subjected to sexual torture while in Russian custody. The majority of documented cases involve male prisoners. Sexual Torture In Russian Detention One former detainee, Serhii Boychuk, told the newspaper that he was captured by Russian forces in 2022 and spent two years in detention, where he alleged he was beaten and sexually tortured by Russian guards.
“They wanted to psychologically break me," said Boychuk, now 33, as he recounted being raped with bottles and sticks and having a knife pressed against his genitals. “They are using sexualised abuse as a weapon of war to humiliate and break the person," said the man who was released in October 2024 as part of a prisoner swap. Another former Ukrainian prisoner of war also described similar experiences of sexualised torture while being held in Russian detention camps. The accounts shared by survivors align with findings from Ukrainian intelligence agencies and UN investigators, who have interviewed former prisoners during the war. Their findings indicate that sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilian detainees has been widespread and systematic. Male Ukrainian Prisoners Among Primary Targets Sexual violence has historically been used during conflicts to terrorise and control civilian populations, with women and children often being the main victims. However, the report highlights that many recent cases in Ukraine involve male soldiers captured during battlefield operations. According to the UN, among the 310 cases of alleged sexual violence by Russian forces under investigation, 280 victims are men, 26 are women, and four are girls.
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