Themes by tag: russian crimes
On July 29, Kyiv will host the event “BASHTA. Memory That Unites,” dedicated to the anniversary of the deaths of Ukrainian defenders in Olenivka.
On the night of July 29, 2022, russia carried out one of the largest terrorist attacks against Ukrainian prisoners of war by blowing up a barracks in Olenivka, where more than 200 Azovstal defenders were held.
The event will commemorate those killed in Olenivka, discuss the challenges veterans face after returning from captivity, and present the online platform Bashta — a space bringing together veterans, military families, civil society organizations and everyone working on issues of memory, recovery and the development of the veteran community.
Speakers:
- Natalia Petrenko — founder of the Bashta platform;
- Oleksandra Mazur — co-founder of the NGO Olenivka Community;
- Oleh Krisenko — veteran, former prisoner of war and founder of the IT Veterans NGO;
- Anton Kalakutskyi — representative of the IT Veterans NGO and the Veterans Movement of Ukraine;
- Semen Makhlin — veteran, professional adaptation specialist and career consultant at UNIT 6.0;
- Daria Ulman — founder of Community Ulman;
- Oleksandr Batalov — veteran and director of the Ankonkard Foundation;
- Yaryna Chuchman-Myno — founder of the Blast brand and communications manager at the Ankonkard Foundation.
Background: The organizers are the Bashta online platform, the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, the National Memorial Complex of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes — Museum of the Revolution of Dignity, and the Olenivka Community.
On July 28, the exhibition “Olenivka: The Quintessence of Cruelty” will reopen in Kyiv for the third time. The event is dedicated to the fourth anniversary of the Olenivka terrorist attack.
The exhibition was created in cooperation with the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity and the NGO Media Initiative for Human Rights. The exhibition will be open until November 16.
Background: On the night of July 29, 2022, russia carried out a terrorist attack by blowing up a barracks at a penal colony in Olenivka where Ukrainian prisoners of war were held. At least 50 defenders of Azovstal were killed, and more than 100 were injured.
Ukrainian soldiers who were seriously wounded in the attack have remained in russian captivity for four years.
The press conference will present new information that should become the subject of thorough investigative work and remain under constant public scrutiny. The organizers will also raise the following questions:
Why have seriously wounded defenders still not been returned from captivity?
Why, despite high-profile promises, has not a single person from this category of prisoners been returned over the past year?
What are the results of the investigation into the tragedy four years after the attack? Why is there no information about the key witness?
Background: On the night of July 29, 2022, russia carried out a terrorist attack by blowing up a barracks at a penal colony in Olenivka where Ukrainian prisoners of war were held. At least 50 defenders of Azovstal were killed, and more than 100 were wounded.
The Ukrainian servicemen seriously wounded in the attack have remained in russian captivity for four years.
On July 21, the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) will host a Defence Talks event titled “Follow the address”: Shared offices, shell companies, and microelectronics supply chains to russia.
During the event, NAKO analysts will present a large-scale study that examined 180,000 customs declarations and identified nearly 1,800 companies supplying russia’s defense industry with technology in circumvention of sanctions.
Together with leading experts, military specialists, and investigative journalists, participants will examine how sanctions policy is evolving and where new loopholes are emerging; what role China plays in sustaining russia’s war machine; and how investigative journalism and analytical research help disrupt supply chains to russia’s military-industrial complex.
Participants:
– Bohdan Chumak, Representative of the Sanctions Policy Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
– Dmytro Shulha, Director of the Europe and the World Programme, International Renaissance Foundation;
– Viktoriia Vyshnivska, Senior Researcher, NAKO;
– Olena Davlikanova, Senior Analyst at the Sahaidachnyi Security Center, editor of NAKO’s Russia’s War Network study;
– Yurii Poita, Senior Associate Analyst, Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) (online);
– Oleksandr Moiseienko, Deputy Editor-in-Chief at United24 Media, investigative journalist.
Venue: For security reasons, the location will be disclosed only to registered participants.
Simultaneous interpretation: Ukrainian/English.
Journalists are required to register.
Background: NAKO (Independent Anti-Corruption Commission) is a civil society organization working to reduce opportunities for corruption in Ukraine’s defense sector through in-depth research, effective advocacy, and public awareness. Since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NAKO has been monitoring sanctions enforcement and advocating for stronger restrictions on russia’s defense industry. As part of this work, it studies Western-made microelectronics found in various types of russian weapons, including Shahed drones, missiles, and aircraft.
Defence Talks is NAKO’s discussion platform bringing together Ukrainian officials, experts, diplomats, and journalists to identify solutions in the fields of security and defense.
Animals in Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park continue to suffer from the consequences of ecocide caused by russia’s aggression against Ukraine. In early June 2026, 22 dead dolphins washed ashore. Since then, researchers have continued to record new cases. Over the past 50 days, a total of 74 dead cetaceans have been found along the park’s coastline. The figures were reported by Ivan Rusiev, Doctor of Biological Sciences and Head of the Research Department at Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park.
According to the biologist, the ecosystem is suffering from the constant impact of warfare, including mine explosions, aerial bombardments, missile strikes, and the use of powerful sonar systems by military vessels. Together with his team, Ivan Rusiev documents every recorded case of ecocide.
Journalists can arrange interviews with Ivan Rusiev either online or in person by prior appointment.
On July 15, Kyiv will host the presentation of the report “Beyond the Battlefield: russia’s Information War Against Ukraine’s European Future.”
The report, prepared jointly by analysts from the Center for Countering Disinformation (CCD) and the European External Action Service (EEAS), examines how russian information manipulation and interference seek to undermine Ukraine’s path to EU membership.
Participants:
– Andriy Kovalenko, Head of the Center for Public Diplomacy, officer of the Ukrainian Defense Forces;
– Anahit Khoperia, Deputy Head of the Center for Public Diplomacy;
– a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine;
– a representative of the Security Service of Ukraine;
– a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
– a representative of the European External Action Service (EEAS).
Media registration is open until 3:00 p.m. on July 14.
The Center for Civil Liberties invites journalists, representatives of civil society, government institutions, and international organizations to attend a briefing on a new draft law on accountability for international crimes. The event will take place in Kyiv on July 15.
Since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukrainian law enforcement authorities have registered more than 240,000 international crimes related to russian aggression. Even if the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression becomes operational, it will deal with only a limited number of cases. The vast majority of cases will have to be investigated by Ukraine’s justice system. This is why Ukraine’s Criminal Code must be fully aligned with international criminal law, enabling the country to effectively investigate international crimes and bring perpetrators to justice.
Despite amendments adopted in 2024, Ukraine’s Criminal Code still contains significant gaps. To address them, the Office of the Prosecutor General established an Interagency Working Group that prepared a comprehensive draft law to harmonize Ukrainian legislation with international criminal law. Representatives of government institutions, civil society organizations, and Ukrainian and international experts contributed to its development.
During the briefing, participants will present the draft law’s key provisions for the first time. The draft law is important not only for ensuring accountability for international crimes but also for fulfilling Ukraine’s obligations in its European Union accession process.
Speakers:
- Kostiantyn Zadoia, Doctor of Law, Professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, expert at the Center for Civil Liberties;
- Stanislav Petrenko, Head of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in the Context of Armed Conflict, Office of the Prosecutor General;
- Alina Pavliuk, Coordinator of the Lawyers’ Team and Analyst at Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group;
- Mykola Pashkovskyi, Senior Research Fellow at the V. V. Stashys Research Institute for the Study of Crime Problems of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Law, member of the Interagency Working Group on Harmonizing Legislation in the Context of Ukraine’s Ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Moderator: Oleksandra Romantsova, Executive Director of the Center for Civil Liberties.
Journalists are required to register in advance. The exact venue will be shared with registered participants one day before the event.
The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) has analyzed the components of the russian Oreshnik ballistic missile. According to NAKO Senior Researcher Viktoriia Vyshnivska, the weapon promoted by the Kremlin as being “based on advanced technologies” is, in reality, assembled from outdated components.
NAKO’s analysis is based on a detailed examination and verification of debris from the missile’s instrument compartment collected by Ukrainian military experts after two confirmed strikes:
- Dnipro (November 21, 2024) — the first combat use of the missile against the Pivdenmash industrial complex.
- Lviv (January 8, 2026) — a strike on critical infrastructure. It was there that surviving missile subsystems (including navigation units and engine components) were recovered and sent for detailed analysis.
Unlike other russian cruise missiles and drones, which rely heavily on modern Western microchips or Chinese semiconductors, the Oreshnik contains an unusually high proportion of domestically manufactured components.
However, this “import substitution” was achieved by relying on outdated technologies:
- Around 470 identified microcomponents are based on low- and medium-tech semiconductors manufactured using production processes that are decades old.
- Most recovered components were manufactured between 2014 and 2018. The missile is essentially an evolutionary development of older Soviet and russian systems such as the Rubezh, Topol-M, and Yars.
- Components for the missile were supplied by at least 25 companies from russia and Belarus, including the Integral holding company and the Mikron, Angstrem, and Optron plants.
Although this architecture somewhat reduces russia’s dependence on Western supply chains, it does not demonstrate full technological self-sufficiency. Instead, it highlights the blurred boundary between civilian and military microelectronics in russia.
A significant number of companies whose chips were found in the missile have yet to face comprehensive international sanctions. While Ukraine has independently imposed sanctions on 93% of the identified companies involved in manufacturing the Oreshnik, only 62% are currently subject to international sanctions.
NAKO Senior Researcher Viktoriia Vyshnivska stresses that international sanctions must continue evolving and become more comprehensive in order to effectively disrupt russian weapons production.
Background: The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) is a Ukrainian civil society organization that works to reduce opportunities for corruption in the country’s defense sector through research, advocacy, and public awareness. Following russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NAKO launched a project focused on monitoring and strengthening sanctions against russia’s defense industry.
On July 11, Odesa will host the opening of “Kherson: NOT/Stolen”, an exhibition based on studies and homages inspired by artworks stolen by russia. The project was conceived as an exploration of the collection of the looted Kherson Art Museum and was created by artists who continue to live and work in Ukraine despite ongoing russian attacks and destruction.
In art, a study is both an exploration and a preparatory sketch. A homage is a work created as a tribute to another artist. It is neither an exact copy nor a replica, but rather an expression of respect and gratitude to those who made the world a better place through their art.
The exhibition “NOT/Stolen. Studies and Homages” was shown from November to December 2025 at Zenyk Art Gallery in Lviv, from February to April 2026 at the War Museum in Kyiv, and from May to June 2026 at the Ukrainian Canadian Art Foundation KUMF Gallery in Toronto, Canada.
On July 11, Kherson will be brought to Odesa through new works by Ukrainian artists.
Mykyta Shastun joined the military several years before the full-scale invasion. He served in the 56th Brigade, fought on the outskirts of Donetsk Airport, and trained to become a sergeant.
After the full-scale invasion began, he and his brother Ihor joined the Azov Regiment to defend Mariupol. On April 1, his brother was killed. In May 2022, Mykyta and his comrades were ordered to lay down their weapons and surrender.
He ended up in the Olenivka colony in the occupied Donetsk oblast. He recalls extreme hardship: prisoners starving due to a lack of food and water. Soon, the Azov fighters were moved to another barracks where an explosion rocked the facility at night. Miraculously, Mykyta survived with only a concussion. He helped wounded comrades, though the russians provided no medical aid. He was then transferred from Olenivka to Taganrog, russia, before finally returning to Ukraine on December 31, 2022.
Journalists can contact Mykyta Shastun online by prior arrangement.
Background: The defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days, 82 of which were in complete encirclement. From May 16 to 20, 2022, the Mariupol garrison received orders to cease defending the city and surrender.
On the night of July 29, 2022, russia committed a terrorist act blowing up the Olenivka penal colony barracks holding Ukrainian POWs. At least 50 defenders of Azovstal were killed, and more than a hundred were injured.
