Themes by tag: russian crimes

On February 10, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, together with the Center for Civil Liberties, invite journalists to the premiere of the documentary film “Give Me Back My Name”, dedicated to people who have gone missing as a result of russia’s war against Ukraine.

The film tells the story of soldiers of this war who bear the status “missing in action,” the process of returning the bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers, their identification, and the restoration of their names — as well as the families who have spent years living in search and uncertainty.

The event will open with remarks by Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Liberties — an organization awarded the Nobel Peace Prize — and Stephen Capus, President and CEO of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the film’s author, Maryan Kushnir, a frontline correspondent for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, who has been covering russia’s war against Ukraine since 2015. In January 2026, he rescued a young girl by carrying her out of an apartment that was struck by a russian drone in the Kyiv region, for which he was awarded the Order “For Courage.”

Journalists need to register for the event. The organizers reserve the right to deny participation for security reasons.

For reference: The film “Give Me Back My Name” was produced with the support of the Pulitzer Center. The European Union funds the event.

• casualties
• dead
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Vladyslav Balinskyi is an ecologist and hydrobiologist at the Tuzlivski Lymany National Nature Park. He leads a component of the international scientific project “SUNDANSE” within the park. Vladyslav also works as editor-in-chief of the media outlet Zelenyi Lyst.

According to the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine, since 2014 Vladyslav has been subjected to systematic persecution by russia, which intensified after 2022 due to his active involvement in documenting enemy war crimes and ecocide. russian propagandists label Vladyslav’s scientific and journalistic work as espionage and sabotage.

In October 2025, the moscow prosecutor’s office transferred the ecologist’s case to court for an in absentia trial, and in January 2026 russia placed Vladyslav on an international wanted list. The National Ecological Centre of Ukraine has called on the Security Service of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General to ensure Vladyslav’s physical safety.

Journalists can speak with Vladyslav Balinskyi both online and offline, by prior arrangement.

• ecology
• russian crimes

russians damaged the Hall of Glory of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War near the base of the “Motherland” monument. It is a monument of science and technology of local significance.

After inspections by specialized services are completed, the scope of restoration works will become known. This is already the second case of damage to the museum as a result of russian attacks.

By prior arrangement, journalists may visit the museum.

For context: According to Ukraine’s Minister of Culture Tetiana Berezhna, since the start of the full-scale invasion, russia has damaged or destroyed more than 1,680 cultural heritage sites and thousands of cultural infrastructure facilities.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

To keep the spotlight on the defenders of Azovstal and other Ukrainian soldiers still held in russian captivity, peaceful rallies are scheduled across 28 cities under the slogan “Don’t be silent. Captivity kills!”

On January 31, events will be held in Okhtyrka, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, Irpin, Pavlysh, Dnipro, Shpola, Volochysk, Poltava, Pavlohrad, and Lviv.

On February 1, gatherings will take place in Kyiv, Krolevets, Pivdennoukrainsk, Mykolaiv, Uman, Obukhiv, Ovruch, Dolynska, Cherkasy, Lozova, Uzhhorod, Berdychiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Rivne, Chernivtsi, and Odesa.

Families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison organize the actions. Released captives frequently take part in these demonstrations to raise awareness and press for the return of those still held.

• prisoners
• russian crimes

On February 3, a screening and discussion of the documentary film “Fight and Dance” will be held in the capital. The film is about strength, pain, and hope. It is about childhood under the air raid sirens. It is about living — despite the war.

In April 2025, russian forces fired two Iskander missiles into the center of Sumy. Viktoriia Rudyka was riding scooters with her daughters when the blast wave hit them. After undergoing treatment and losing their father in the war, the family chose to stay in Sumy. The girls returned to ballet, and Viktoriia plans to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine. On the same day, 13-year-old Kyrylo Illiashenko opened the door of a burning bus and rescued his mother and the other passengers. A month later, he won a silver medal at the European Beach Wrestling Championships.

After the screening, there will be a conversation with the people who lived and created this story:

• Hanna Mamontova and Anna Tsyhyma, the film’s authors;
• Viktoriia Rudykha, a protagonist in the film;
• Kyrylo Illiashenko, a protagonist in the film.

Moderator: Natalka Humeniuk, executive director of the Public Interest Journalism Lab.

Advance registration is required.

The event will feature photography and filming, as well as a live online broadcast on the Maidan Museum Information and Exhibition Center’s Facebook page.

For reference: The event is organized by the National Museum of the Revolution of Dignity and the Public Interest Journalism Lab NGO.

• casualties
• children
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

The Center for Civil Liberties, partnering with the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, is hosting a presentation and discussion on February 3 examining the major obstacles Ukrainian law enforcement faces in investigating russian war crimes.

Since the outset of russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has confronted an extraordinary volume of atrocities targeting civilians and military personnel alike. As of January 21, 2025, Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General had registered more than 211,000 crimes related to the russian aggression, including war crimes and crimes of aggression, with over 253,000 individuals officially recognized as victims.

The sheer magnitude of these offenses has placed enormous strain on the country’s criminal justice system. In a significant development, Ukraine acceded to the Rome Statute in 2024. It became a full member of the International Criminal Court on January 1, 2025, introducing fresh requirements for national laws and investigative practices concerning international crimes.

The event will feature a new study outlining the principal hurdles in documenting, investigating, and prosecuting those responsible for war crimes, while factoring in Ukraine’s updated international obligations.

Speakers include:

– Roman Romanov, Program Director at the International Renaissance Foundation;

– Oleksandr Pavlichenko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union;

– Aksana Filipishyna, Analyst at the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union;

– Vladlena Padun, Analyst at the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union.

A public discussion will follow, featuring representatives from criminal justice agencies, human rights groups, and other experts.

Journalists wishing to attend must register in advance; the venue will be shared with registered participants. The event will take place in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and online participation, and will be conducted in Ukrainian with simultaneous English interpretation available. 

For reference: The research was produced by the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union with backing from the European Union and the International Renaissance Foundation under the joint “Joining the EU Together” initiative. The Center for Civil Liberties is organizing the event, which is funded by the European Union.

• russian crimes

To keep public attention on the defenders of Azovstal and other Ukrainian soldiers still held in russian captivity, peaceful rallies under the slogan “Don’t Be Silent. Captivity Kills!” are scheduled across the country on January 17 and 18. Events will take place in 30 cities in total.

On January 17, gatherings are planned in Okhtyrka, Chernihiv, Zaporizhia, Vinnytsia, Irpin, Dnipro, Shpola, Volochysk, Pavlohrad, and Lviv.

On January 18, rallies will be held in Kyiv, Krolevets, Pivdennoukrainsk, Kremenchuk, Mykolaiv, Uman, Obukhiv, Ovruch, Dolynska, Cherkasy, Poltava, Lozova, Korostyshiv, Kovel, Uzhhorod, Berdychiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Rivne, Chernivtsi, and Odesa.

Families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison organize the actions. Released captives frequently join the demonstrations to help amplify calls for the return of those still held.

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes

Peaceful events are planned in 28 cities across Ukraine to raise awareness of the defenders of Azovstal and other soldiers still in enemy captivity.

On January 10, events will be held in Okhtyrka, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia, Dnipro, Shpola, Volochysk, Pavlohrad, and Lviv.

On January 11, events are planned in Kyiv, Krolevets, Pivdennoukrainsk, Kremenchuk, Mykolaiv, Korop, Korosten, Obukhiv, Ovruch, Dolynska, Cherkasy, Kharkiv, Lozova, Uzhhorod, Berdychiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Rivne, Chernivtsi, and Odesa.

The events are organized by families of prisoners of war from the Mariupol garrison. Recently released Ukrainian captives also often join these actions.

• military
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

On January 9, Kyiv’s National Museum of the History of Ukraine in World War II will host the opening of “Through Darkness. The Light of Memory,” a digital testimony of war.

The exhibition was created by the Skeiron team in cooperation with the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kharkiv Region and the “Memorial Platform”.

The project presents an array of digital data resulting from the documentation of the war’s consequences: 3D models of destroyed objects, places of illegal detention, and mass burial sites of civilians in the Izium district. Their recording assists in global processes of establishing justice and accountability.

The Howard G. Buffett Foundation serves as the strategic partner of the initiative, supporting key areas of work to establish the circumstances of russian war crimes and restore justice, including DNA identification projects and expert data processing.

“Through Darkness. The Light of Memory” is about documenting facts and creating a space for reflection, where 3D scanning, photogrammetry, and sound technologies help convey the realities of war with respect for the experiences of those affected. The project makes visible not only the wound but also the strength – the society’s ability to preserve memory, uphold values, and work toward recovery.

• culture
• russian crimes
• Kyiv

Former Kherson mayor Volodymyr Mykolaienko joined Ukraine’s territorial defense forces on the first day of russia’s full-scale invasion. When russian troops occupied the southern city in early March 2022, the 62-year-old former official went underground. He also took part in public rallies against the occupation, joining thousands of Kherson residents who defied russian forces. The largest demonstration, on March 13, 2022, drew more than 10,000 people into the streets.

In April that year, russian forces abducted Mykolaienko. He was held for more than two weeks at a police station in Kherson that the russian military had converted into a makeshift detention and torture site. According to accounts of his captivity, he was subjected to repeated beatings, interrogations, and abuse.

From Kherson, Mykolaienko was transferred to occupied Sevastopol and later moved twice more between detention facilities. He returned home on Aug. 24, 2025, as part of another prisoner exchange. Before that, he had twice refused to be included in swaps, opting instead to give his place to another captive who was gravely ill.

Mykolaienko is still recovering from the physical and psychological toll of his imprisonment. Even so, he has already resumed efforts to help secure the release of other Ukrainians held in russian captivity.

He can be reached for online or in-person meetings in Kherson by prior arrangement.

• casualties
• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• Kherson