Statement by the delegation of Ukraine 

during the UNGA80 3C Interactive dialogue with Chair of the Committee against Torture / Chair of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment / Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment 

14 October 2025

Chair, 

Ukraine thanks all the briefers for their briefings and presented reports.

Ukraine extended stand-by invitations to all the mandates and remains ready for dialogue and cooperation.

Since Russia’s aggression in 2014, and especially following the full-scale invasion in February 2022, torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian citizens—both servicemen and civilians—have become entrenched practices of Russian armed forces and affiliated groups.

Russia is also reportedly holding over 15,000 Ukrainian civilians in detention — using them to exert political and psychological pressure on Ukraine and to intimidate populations in the temporarily occupied territories. They are kept incommunicado, denied contact with their loved ones, and deprived of legal assistance – all in flagrant violation of international law.

UN reports, including the COI’s findings, confirm that torture in Russian custody is systematic and widespread, amounting to coordinated state policy aimed at intimidation and subjugation. Ukraine has documented multiple cases where confirmed POWs died under torture in captivity. Torture is a jus cogens prohibition; its use against civilians and POWs constitutes war crimes with no justification.

We remain gravely concerned about prisoners of war and civilian detainees, to whom Russia continues to deny international access.

We call for all possible efforts to secure access to detention sites, ensure humane treatment of Ukrainian detainees, and facilitate their release.

We support the Special Rapporteur’s proposal to establish a facility for flexible, rapid response visits with forensic expertise.

On conflict-related sexual violence, including sexual torture: to date, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General has documented 381 such cases – against 138 male and 243 female victims, including 23 minors. Accountability for such crimes is non-negotiable for Ukraine.

The UN Secretary-General’s 2024 report on CRSV documented over 200 verified cases committed by Russian forces against Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians, explicitly noting Russia’s refusal to allow UN monitoring and placing the Russian Federation “on notice” for possible listing in the next report.

Ukraine calls for listing the Russian Federation, its armed forces, and the FSB as persistent perpetrators in the next report, recognizing the systematic nature of these crimes and signaling solidarity with survivors.

We urge the international community to stand firmly against Russia’s systematic torture and ensure accountability for these grave violations of international law.

We request all mandate holders to continue thorough examination of violations against detainees and POWs, including torture, ill-treatment, poor detention conditions, denial of communication, and evidence of deliberate killings and injuries.

Thank you.