UN Adds Russian Armed Forces to Blacklist
For the first time, the United Nations has placed Russia’s armed forces and security agencies on its blacklist, citing sexual violence linked to the war against Ukraine. The decision appears in the UN’s annual report on conflict-related sexual violence. Russian troops were included mainly due to sexual abuse committed against prisoners of war and civilians held during the conflict.
The blacklist now includes 77 state and non-state groups and organizations from twelve countries worldwide. The global number of sexual violence crimes rose sharply in 2025 compared to the previous year. Experts confirmed 310 cases of conflict-related sexual violence in Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories. Most victims were prisoners of war and civilians, with the majority being men. Ukrainian human rights defenders documented 31 war-related cases of sexual violence, most of which occurred before 2025.
Human Rights Situation
In addition, Israeli forces were added to the UN blacklist for the first time over allegations concerning the treatment of Palestinian detainees. Israel has rejected these accusations. UN Secretary-General António Guterres had warned both Russia and Israel last year that they could be blacklisted. Russian authorities refused to allow international investigators access, complicating efforts to probe the documented cases of sexual violence.
The UN’s blacklisting of Russia’s military underscores the severity of human rights abuses amid the armed conflict in Ukraine.
This move could significantly influence international responses to Russian aggression and shape relations between countries. At the same time, the inclusion of Israeli forces shows that the global community continues to closely monitor regions experiencing armed conflict and seeks to ensure accountability for crimes against humanity. This development highlights the need to strengthen human rights protection mechanisms during wartime.