The United Nations has sufficient evidence that Russian forces widely and systematically use sexual violence as a tool of war and torture.

This was stated by Ukraine's permanent representative to the United Nations, Sergiy Kyslytsya, during the annual debates in the UN Security Council on sexual violence associated with conflicts.

Kyslytsya reminded that evidence of Russian crimes is presented in reports by the UN Secretary-General, the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the Situation in Ukraine, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

"These reports emphasize the widespread and systematic use of sexual violence by Russian forces as a tool of war and torture," he noted.

According to the permanent representative, the open debates in the Security Council allow drawing attention to the appalling problem of sexual violence against men, which is widely and systematically perpetrated by Russian forces against both prisoners of war and civilian captives.

He added that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have documented 290 cases of sexual violence, affecting 102 men and 188 women.

Kyslytsya pointed out that the conclusions of the UN Independent Commission shed light on the organization of torture, the awareness of the Russian army command and law enforcement agencies about it, and the pervasive sense of impunity.

"We firmly believe that the Russian army and Russian law enforcement agencies, such as the FSB, should be included in the list of conflict parties reasonably suspected of committing acts of rape and other forms of sexual violence," Kyslytsya added.

The permanent representative called on UN member states and officials to "double their efforts to pressure Russia to end its cruel, unprovoked, and unjustified aggressive war against Ukraine and put an end to its abhorrent war crimes and crimes against humanity.