News

A practical guide by ULAG and Lexpat Global Services to help investigators, prosecutors, and the military work more effectively with battlefield evidence in atrocity crime cases.

On 7 May 2026, Kyiv hosted the 9th United for Justice — a high-level conference on international justice and accountability, this year focusing on accountability for crimes against civilians. The conference was held jointly with the third annual Ministerial Meeting of the Dialogue Group on Accountability for Ukraine, co-organised by the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine and the Government of the Netherlands, bringing together national authorities, international institutions, civil society, and survivors to advance accountability for crimes committed during Russia's war against Ukraine.

2025 was a year that placed serious pressure at every level on accountability efforts for grave crimes committed in the course of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Practically all major justice mechanisms faced existential challenges, along with systemic gaps existing before. ULAG managed to sustain and even intensify its work and together with partners supported victims and contributed to the search for solutions to ensure meaningful justice and accountability. Below we highlighted some of our activities and insights of 2025, find the full annual report at the end of this text.

While international leaders discuss the possibility of deploying a new monitoring mission in Ukraine, three members of the previous OSCE mission remain behind bars, convicted for carrying out their mandate. We stress that the issue of their release must remain central to all discussions on future security architecture and monitoring mechanisms.

Alina Pavliuk, ULAG's Legal Coordinator and Analyst attended the 24th Assembly of States Parties to contribute to the discussion related to the Court's work on Ukraine, defending the ICC, issues of non-cooperation, withdrawal, victims' rights and other topics related to the ICC and international justice for grave crimes committed in Ukraine.

ULAG lawyer Ievgeniia Kapalkina and Margaryta Shabanova concluded their visit to Türkiye in hope to advance the efforts to ensure the release of Margaryta’s husband, Dmytro Shabanov, and his colleagues Maksym Petrov and Vadym Golda – OSCE staff members, unlawfully detained and prosecuted by Russia since 2022.

Immediate release of Dmytro Shabanov, Maksym Petrov and Vadym Golda must be at the top of the agenda for the OSCE and participating States, backed by concrete actions.  Ievgeniia Kapalkina and Margaryta Shabanova attended this year’s OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference (WHDC) to advocate for an urgent and comprehensive response to the situation Ukrainian nationals OSCE staff members have been in since 2022.

On October 8, the CICC called Tajikistan to cancel Vladimir Putin's visit. The visit, however, eventually has taken place – a violation of cooperation obligations before the ICC by its State Party. In the comment for the statement Nadia Volkova talks about the meaning of such instances of non-cooperation for the Court and the victims.

On July 31, the Helsinki+50 Conference took place, marking the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act – a foundational document for the OSCE.

Maksym Petrov is a Ukrainian national, OSCE Special Monitoring Mission staff member, who worked as an interpreter. He was illegally detained in April 2022 and later unlawfully sentenced to 13 years for “treason against the LPR” – same as his colleague Dmytro Shabanov.

Today, 28 July, we commemorate the memory of those tortured and killed in captivity.

Joint Statement

Coalition alleges that Russian central bankers, finance minister, and banking executives are complicit in crimes against humanity and war crimes in occupied Kherson Oblast.

The report "Needs Assessment of the Ukraine's Justice System: Delivering Meaningful Justice to the Victims and Survivors of the Armed Conflict" now has its own website!

We, representatives of civil society organisations, associations of victims, academics and experts working to ensure justice and accountability for crimes committed in context of Russia's war against Ukraine and to overcome its consequences, believe that Ukraine must support the effort to overcome impunity that made Russian aggression possible, both for our state and for societies around the world.

Ukraine has a new Prosecutor General. Ukraine had been without one for more than 7 months. On 21 June, a presidential decree appointing Ruslan Kravchenko was issued. 

This day reminds us of those whose pain is often invisible and unheard. Of people who remain silent out of shame, fear or lack of support. Of women, men and children for whom war, along with other challenges, also means sexual violence as a weapon of the aggressor.

On 7 May, Kyiv hosted the international conference United for Justice. United for Survivors and the meeting of Ministers of the Dialogue Group on Accountability for Crimes Committed in Ukraine. This joint event served as a high-level platform for aligning national and international efforts to deliver justice for international crimes committed during the war.

On 23 April 2025, during the 82nd session of the UN Committee Against Torture in Geneva, key concerns and recommendations from the Alternative Report on Ukraine’s implementation of its obligations under the Convention against Torture were presented.

The family of Viktoriia does not consider the DNA analysis results to be exhaustive; other investigative actions to identify the body are ongoing. We urge everyone to show respect towards the family and await the outcomes of additional examinations to fully clarify the circumstances.

The deadly strike on Kryvyi Rih, which claimed the lives of 19 civilians including 9 children, is a harrowing reminder of the cost of inaction.

On 27 March, it became known that Russia had initiated the deportation of illegally convicted OSCE staff members Dmytro Shabanov and Maksym Petrov to high-security penal colonies in remote regions of Russia.

At a critical moment, as Ukraine enters the process of peace negotiations, the Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group warns that accountability for international crimes may be sacrificed for political compromises, depriving thousands of victims of hope for justice.

In light of the looming threat to the International Criminal Court and consequently – international justice for victims of grave crimes throughout the world, Ukrainian CSOs' urge to stand firmly against the possible sanctions and adopt protective measures for the Court and all the stakeholders interacting with it. 

Ukraine and other States Parties to the Rome Statute must defend the world's only legitimate permanent international tribunal.

Draft laws No. 11538 and No. 11539 will block the investigation of international crimes in Ukraine and should not be adopted.

On 16 December 2024, the Ukrainian Legal Advisory Group brought together experts and international stakeholders for a discussion on justice processes and the challenges faced by victims of international crimes committed in Ukraine.

The United States has approved the provision of anti-personnel mines with self-destruct mechanisms to Ukraine, which raises concerns about the risks to civilians, and therefore Ukraine must ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and effective investigation of possible violations.

On October 23, ULAG held a press briefing at the Ukrainian Crisis Media Center to address the protection of civilians who have become victims of unlawful detention in occupied territories.

The presentation took place on September 19 in Kyiv and included a series of panel discussions involving representatives of the investigative, prosecutorial bodies as well as judiciary, international and national experts, civil society, missions and embassies.

Russia launched a massive missile attack on Ukrainian cities, striking civilian infrastructure, including the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital, killing at least 33 people and injuring 140, prompting urgent calls for enhanced air defence, tougher sanctions, and stronger international accountability measures.

For the full ratification of the Rome Statute, Ukraine must adopt an implementation law, officially submit the ratification instruments to the UN, counter myths about the ICC, and refrain from applying Article 124 to ensure justice and protect victims.

On 5-7 June 2024, the 4th International Congress of the Mukwege Chair was held at the University of Angers (Angers, France), dedicated to the topic: ‘Sexual Violence and Childhood in Time of War. Ukraine was represented by Iryna Kapalkina, a lawyer at ULAG.

If imposed, the US`s sanctions will be detrimental to the ICC`s work in Ukraine and other situations. Nadia Volkova urged the EU member states to stand up for the Court.

On 22 February 2024, Russian authorities conducted an unlawful search of journalist and human rights defender Lutfiye Zudiyeva’s home in occupied Crimea.

ULAG members shared their insights during at the "Allied for Accountability: Collaborative Strategies to Address Russia's Crimes in Ukraine" seminar by IPHR, Truth Hounds and IRF.

ULAG at the Embassies and International Organisations Briefing on RS Ratification.

Patterns of Sexual Violence in the Context of War in Ukraine and How to Respond | ULAG at the 2023 Missing Peace Global Symposium on CRSV.

We appeal to all human rights organizations of the world to join this statement and prevent the collapse of the human rights protection system within the UN.

We, ULAG, together with other Ukrainian civil society organisations support shared principles on accountability for grave crimes committed in the context of the war Russia is waging against Ukraine.

ULAG held a strategy session for investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine, prosecutors of the Prosecutor General's Office and the Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol city who specialise in crimes committed against children.

The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) awarded Nadia Volkova a 2022 CCBE Human Rights Award!