UN Commission says Russia’s enforced disappearances of Ukrainians amount to crimes against humanity

A United Nations Commission stated on Wednesday that Russia’s “extensive and organized” application of enforced disappearances and torture of Ukrainians during its large-scale invasion of Ukraine constitutes crimes against humanity. A significant number of civilians were arrested in regions that fell under Russian control or were forcibly taken to Russia, where several subsequently endured torture and sexual violence, as stated in a recent report by the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry.

“Both were carried out as elements of a large-scale and organized assault on the civilian population and in accordance with a unified state policy,” the report, submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday, concluded.

Russia’s Mission in Geneva stated it would refrain from commenting on “politicized and biased reports.” It has previously rejected claims of torture or other abusive treatment of prisoners of war. Russia has not conveyed the locations of missing individuals, leaving Ukrainian families in distressing uncertainty, Erik Møse, the Commission chair, informed the Council.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, 50,000 individuals have been reported as missing in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia in the past year. Furthermore, more instances of rape and sexual violence involving female detainees were also discovered. An earlier report released in 2024 by the Commission stated that Russia had consistently tortured male prisoners of war from Ukraine.

Eritrea informed the council that the account presented in the Commission’s report exhibited a consistent bias against Russia. Ukraine has requested that the U.N. Human Rights Council extend the Commission’s mandate, a decision that will be made in April.