According to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission, from February 2022 to the end of January 2026, more than 15,000 civilians were killed and more than 41,000 were wounded in Ukraine as a result of the full-scale invasion. Millions of citizens were forced to relocate, and homes and infrastructure suffered significant damage. The report states that in 2025–2026, the number of civilian casualties increased significantly: over the past year, the conflict claimed the lives of 2,526 people and injured 12,162, which is 31% more than in 2024 and 70% more than in 2023. The number of female victims increased particularly sharply, by 27% compared to the previous year. The use of long-range weapons, including missiles and UAVs, accounted for more than a third of total casualties in 2025, which was 66% more than in 2024. Three-quarters of all casualties occurred in frontline areas, where, according to the mission, elderly people are extremely vulnerable – accounting for almost half of all civilian deaths along the line of contact. Mines and explosive remnants of war also claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians: since the beginning of the invasion, at least 483 people have suffered mine and explosive injuries (1,196 wounded).
As documented by the UN mission, Russia has systematically and deliberately attacked power plants and networks, resulting in Ukraine losing more than half of its electricity generation capacity as of January 2026. These challenges have made everyday life more difficult, with generation falling to 11 GW against the 18 GW needed for winter. This has led to prolonged power outages, particularly during the coldest months of 2025–2026, when many people were left without electricity and heating for several days in a row. For example, after the January 2026 attacks in Kyiv, more than 1,100 apartment buildings with thousands of residents were left without central heating until the end of the winter season.
2026-02-16-hrmmu_four-years-on_fact-sheet_2Serious violations of international humanitarian law
The UN mission also documents massive violations of humanitarian law. In particular, Russian authorities in the occupied territories carried out executions of civilians and captured Ukrainian military personnel. The report notes an increase in reports of executions of prisoners at the end of 2025. The occupiers widely used torture and ill-treatment of prisoners of war and detained civilians, including sexual violence. According to the results of interviews, 697 of the 725 released Ukrainian soldiers (96%) reported being tortured while in Russian captivity. At least 109 Ukrainian soldiers were executed by the enemy (70 cases in 2024–2025).
Serious crimes were also committed against civilians. Almost 84% of released civilians reported torture while under Russian occupation. In recent years, at least 182 executions of civilians have been confirmed in the occupied territories, including in pre-trial detention centres. In addition, the UN Mission has documented many cases of sexual violence. Russian authorities have committed such acts against at least 701 people (mainly Ukrainian prisoners and civilians). The victims include men, women and children; at least three children are known to have been born as a result of rape.
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Human rights violations in the occupied territories
The occupying authorities imposed harsh control over the territories seized by Russia. During the war, they effectively replaced Ukrainian authorities with Russian ones, tried to force local residents to accept Russian citizenship, and forcibly mobilised people into their army. There have also been reports of mass expropriation of private property and the elimination of Ukrainian education: children are being transferred to Russian-language schools, and some are being subjected to “instruction” in the spirit of Russian patriotism or even deported to the Russian Federation.
At the same time, basic freedoms were significantly restricted. Local residents were strictly prohibited from freely practising their religion or expressing any political views. According to the UN, at least 1,943 people were fined and 12 were sentenced to prison terms for “discrediting” the Russian Armed Forces or “publicly displaying prohibited symbols” — often for simply expressing their Ukrainian identity. Independent journalists and religious figures were persecuted for using the term “war” or for disseminating information that was not approved by the occupiers. Believers of religions banned in Russia (such as Jehovah’s Witnesses and Hizb ut-Tahrir) were subjected to particular pressure – they were detained, deported or convicted even for peaceful worship.
Human rights in territories controlled by Ukraine
The monitoring mission also notes gaps in human rights practices in territories controlled by Ukraine. An analysis of more than 3,000 convictions for alleged collaboration revealed that in 12% of cases (365 convictions), individuals were charged for actions that could have been coercive under the norms of occupation law. In 148 such cases, actual prison terms were imposed. In many such cases, Ukrainian courts underestimated the role of coercion faced by people under occupation.
Issues of freedom of conscience and minority rights are also a cause for concern. In particular, some Protestants and Adventists were tried for refusing to serve in the army on grounds of conscience: these convictions were upheld, even though international law does not allow the right to refuse service on religious grounds to be restricted. The adoption of new regulations on religious organisations under the banner of “national security” has been criticised as a violation of religious freedom.
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