Conference Highlights — Russia’s Weaponisation of Sexual Violence against Men in Ukraine

On 23 June 2026, civil society representatives, diplomats, legal experts, and survivor advocates convened at the Asser Institute in The Hague for the launch of the report Truth Beneath Silence: Russia’s Weaponisation of Sexual Violence against Men in Ukraine, authored by Truth Hounds and International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR).

The discussion examined conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) against men in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine, highlighting its systematic nature, the experiences of survivors, and the legal and policy pathways to accountability.

Experts reached a clear consensus: conflict-related sexual violence against men is not an incidental consequence of war but a deliberate and systematic tool of repression employed by Russian occupation authorities.

Participants also heard the testimony of Roman, who shared what justice means for him and underscored the enduring physical and psychological consequences of these crimes and the importance of documenting survivors’ experiences.

Panelists highlighted three overarching priorities:

Conflict-related sexual violence against men must be recognised, documented, and prosecuted as a serious international crime.
The report documents 212 male victims, including 125 direct survivor testimonies collected between 2023 and 2025, while emphasising that the true scale of these crimes is likely significantly higher due to stigma, fear, and barriers to reporting.

Accountability efforts must remain survivor-centred and internationally coordinated.
Effective investigations require trauma-informed approaches, specialised expertise, psychological support, confidentiality, and close cooperation between Ukrainian authorities, international justice mechanisms, and civil society organisations.

Ending impunity requires sustained international commitment.
Participants stressed the need for continued documentation of crimes, stronger international cooperation on investigations and prosecutions, wider use of universal jurisdiction, expanded reparations and psychosocial support for survivors, and greater recognition of male survivors within international legal and policy frameworks.

The event’s central message was unequivocal: conflict-related sexual violence against men is an integral component of Russia’s broader campaign of repression in occupied Ukraine and must no longer remain invisible. Ensuring justice for survivors requires sustained legal, political, and institutional action to document these crimes, hold perpetrators accountable, and provide comprehensive support to those affected.

Read the report here