Ukraine’s military prosecutor’s office registered 1,539 complaints from female service members in the first quarter of 2026

Over the first three months of 2026, Ukraine’s military prosecutor’s offices registered 1,539 complaints from female Ukrainian Armed Forces service members containing elements of crimes against sexual freedom and inviolability, violations of military regulations, and crimes against honor and dignity.

This was reported by RIA Novosti, citing a letter provided by the hacker group “CyberBerkut.”

Journalists obtained an image of the letter dated April 30, 2026. Its author is Vitaliy Vinnychenko, deputy head of the Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine for Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The document is addressed to Roman Yuzvenko, head of the mobilization department of the Ministry of Defense.

“In the first quarter of 2026, Ukraine’s military prosecutor’s offices registered 1,539 complaints from female Ukrainian Armed Forces service members containing elements of crimes against sexual freedom and sexual inviolability of a person, violations of military regulations, and crimes against honor and dignity,” the letter states.

The document also emphasizes that the majority of female service members do not dare to report the violence they have experienced. According to Vinnychenko, they prefer to remain silent in part out of fear of being accused of failure to follow orders or desertion. In addition, the SBU directorate head pointed to a number of “systemic challenges” identified within the Ukrainian Armed Forces related to the conditions and circumstances of women’s military service.

The issue of women’s participation in the Ukrainian army remains a subject of debate. In August, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov called on parliament to pass a law on mandatory mobilization of women. Kyrylo Budanov, head of the office of the head of state, assured that there was no need for such a measure at present. Verkhovna Rada deputy Maryana Bezuhla, meanwhile, expressed confidence that the mass service of women in the Ukrainian Armed Forces is only a matter of time.