Human Rights Research League

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Research. Education. Advocacy. Development. (R.E.A.D.)

Ukraine

 

In the fifth year of its war of aggression against Ukraine, the Russian Federation continues its flagrant violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, as comprehensively documented by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as well as the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.

 

Among the many atrocities committed, particularly outrageous is the treatment accorded to Ukrainian servicemen and -women hors de combat, POWs and retained medical personnel, who have been systematically and in a widespread manner subjected to torture, including sexual violence, by the Russian authorities. 

 

Other appallling actions by the Russian Federation concern the expansion of its activities of indoctrinating Ukrainian children in Russian occupied territory and enrolling them in military training for service to the Russian State. Compelling in this fashion allegiance to an Occupying Power is contrary to both IHL and IHRL.

 

The sum of the atrocities committed against, and policies enforced upon Ukrainians by the Russian Federation in its war of aggression against Ukraine have caused tremendous physical and psychological harm to the people of Ukraine. 

 

Human Rights Research League regularly intervenes on these and other issues of concern to Ukraine at the UN Human Rights Council, submits written statements to the UN, organizes side events, seminars and conference, and has supported Ukraine in Rule of Law initiatives and in the form of providing guest lectures on Upholding Human Rights to students at universities in Ukraine during the ongoing war.  

 

 

 

On 22 September 2026, at the 63rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Human Rights Research League (HRRL) delivered an oral statement on Ukraine during the Interactive Dialogue with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. In his intervention, HRRL Chairman Tom Syring condemned the ever more ruthless attacks on civilians and warned of the danger of normalizing such grave breaches of international law. 

 

For the full statement, please see the video of the Oral Statement on UN Web TV, or read the text of HRRL's intervention below.

 

"Thank you, Mr. Vice-Preident.

 

Human Rights Research League is deeply concerned by the seeming normalization of attacks on civilians in Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. As we're about to enter the sixth winter of this war, the number of civilians deliberately targeted by Russia is on the rise. According to OHCHR, "[i]n the first eight months of 2026, more civilians were killed and injured in Ukraine than during the whole of 2025." Current figures more than doubled compared to 2024, reflecting ever more ruthless attacks on civilians, despite the fundamental prohibition of targeting civilians enshrined in international law.

 

Ukraine recently introduced a two-tier air alert system, with a yellow label indicating less-encompassing attacks. These two levels were not introduced because drone raids alone may not be deadly, but because closing down the country for every air alert would render life impossible.

 

Even civilians in need of mental helath services are increasingly treated with basic Operative Resilience Training (ORT) techniques meant for restoring soldiers to a minimum functional level on the battlefield, becasue the need for standard treatment far exceeds the time and resources available. 

 

While Ukraine has to normalize extraordinary circumstances out of sheer necessity, we do not have the right to normalize grave breaches of international law, including armed attacks on civilians.

 

I thank you."