Survivors of sexual violence urge UN to hold Russia accountable for war crimes

"Every word in this letter reflects our pain and our hope for justice. Anyone can hear it and read it," said Iryna Dovhan, a member of the Global Fund for Victims of Sexual Violence in Conflict.

"We hope that this collective appeal will finally be heard. We demand that the Russian Federation be included on the list of shame for its systematic sexual violence crimes against Ukrainian citizens."

Dovgan added that Ukrainians have evidence that could be used by international human rights organizations.

Kateryna Levchenko, Ukraine's Government Commissioner for Gender Policy, said a UN hearing on the matter could occur as early as April-May 2025.

"But we must understand that the final decision on including Russia on the list of shame will be made by the UN Secretary-General, based on a report prepared by a large group of experts and information from multiple countries," Levchenko said.

Because of this, affected Ukrainians are appealing to UN Secretary-General António Guterres in an open collective letter. They also plan to develop a strategy for distributing the letter and gaining more support both in Ukraine and internationally.