Civilians in Ukraine continued to face grave conflict-related abuses in 2025, as increasingly targeted and indiscriminate Russian attacks led to rising civilian deaths, injuries, and widespread destruction, Human Rights Watch said in its World Report 2026.
The report found that millions of Ukrainians remain displaced inside the country and abroad, many struggling to access essential services or secure livelihoods. Russian forces continued to subject Ukrainian prisoners of war and detained civilians to systematic torture and ill-treatment, abuses that amount to war crimes and may constitute crimes against humanity. In Russian-occupied areas, authorities intensified efforts to consolidate control by imposing Russian laws and policies, in violation of international law.
According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, at least 14,534 civilians have been killed and more than 38,000 injured since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Civilian casualties rose by 27 percent during the first 10 months of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. Most deaths and injuries occurred in the Khersonska and Donetska regions, where Russian drone operators deliberately targeted civilians using short-range drones, attacks that Human Rights Watch said constitute war crimes.
Russian forces also escalated strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Russia, which is not a party to the International Mine Ban Treaty, made extensive use of antipersonnel mines. Ukraine also deployed antipersonnel mines, including those supplied by the United States in 2024.
The report documented widespread abuses in Russian-occupied areas, including coercion of residents to obtain Russian citizenship by restricting access to health care, education, and other basic services. Occupation authorities unlawfully conscripted Ukrainians into the Russian military, imposed the Russian school curriculum, restricted Ukrainian remote education, subjected children to indoctrination, and seized thousands of privately owned properties.
Displacement remains a defining feature of the conflict. Approximately 3.7 million Ukrainians are internally displaced, while an estimated 5.7 million live abroad as refugees, primarily in Europe. Although the European Union extended temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until March 2027, support is expected to gradually decline. In the United States, the suspension of the Uniting for Ukraine program left many Ukrainians at risk of losing legal status.
In January, Ukraine became the 125th state party to the International Criminal Court, though it included a clause temporarily limiting the court’s jurisdiction over alleged war crimes committed by Ukrainian nationals for seven years. By November, the Council of Europe’s Register of Damages for Ukraine had received more than 70,000 claims across 14 categories, although funding for compensation remains unresolved.
Human Rights Watch also raised concerns about domestic governance challenges, citing high-level corruption scandals, threats against anti-corruption activists and journalists, and tensions among law enforcement agencies. A government attempt to weaken the independence of two key anti-corruption bodies triggered domestic and international backlash, leading authorities to reverse the proposed legislation.
Human Rights Watch said that any peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia must prioritize justice and accountability, warning against granting amnesty for serious international crimes. The organization stressed that protecting democratic institutions, due process, independent media, and anti-corruption mechanisms remains essential to Ukraine’s resilience and its path toward European Union integration.
In November, the European Commission described Ukraine’s reform progress as the strongest in three years and recommended further steps, though accession talks remained stalled due to Hungary blocking negotiations.
