\n<\/p>\n
\u201cOur findings establish several worrying trends: rising civilian casualties in both frontline and urban areas, sustained attacks on energy infrastructure, and continued patterns of systematic and widespread torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees,\u201d said Danielle Bell,\u00a0head of\u00a0the Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU),<\/p>\n
Russia launched its so-called \u201cspecial military operation\u201d in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, and the report covers the period from 1\u00a0June\u00a0to\u00a030\u00a0November\u00a02025.<\/p>\n
It\u00a0reveals that\u00a0civilian casualties\u00a0surged\u00a0in both frontline and urban areas, with July marking the highest number of civilian deaths and injuries since April 2022<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n A total of 1,420 civilians were killed and 6,545 injured\u00a0during the reporting period\u00a0\u2013 a 12 per cent increase over the same period a year earlier\u00a0and a\u00a0nearly 40\u00a0per cent increase over the prior six months.\u00a0<\/p>\n Casualties included 61 medical workers, 99 emergency service personnel,\u00a0six\u00a0media professionals, and 13 humanitarian workers.<\/p>\n Western Ukraine\u00a0also experienced its deadliest attack since the invasion\u00a0began, when\u00a0a\u00a0large-scale\u00a0combined drone\u2013missile strike killed at least 36 civilians in Ternopil\u00a0on 19 November.<\/p>\n Frontline regions have experienced\u00a0a\u00a0severe\u00a0deterioration in living conditions, as short-range drones, aerial bombs, and other munitions caused extensive damage to\u00a0residential buildings and other vital civilian infrastructure.\u00a0\u00a0Some areas were left uninhabitable, forcing residents to seek shelter elsewhere.<\/p>\n Additionally,\u00a0many hospitals and clinics\u00a0in frontline towns\u00a0were destroyed or forced to close, leaving residents without access to basic healthcare.<\/p>\n This was compounded by disruption of water, heating, and electricity,\u00a0which\u00a0particularly\u00a0impacted\u00a0older people\u00a0and\u00a0persons\u00a0with disabilities.<\/p>\n \u00a9 UNDP Ukraine\/Oleksandr Ratush<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Damage to Ukraine’s power infrastructure has lad to led to disruptions in essential services like electricity, heating, and water supplies. (file)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n During October and November, Russia launched eight large-scale, coordinated waves of missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine\u2019s energy system, which caused\u00a0emergency power outages and daily electricity cuts in multiple regions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Scheduled power cuts lasted\u00a0up to 18 hours per day, with\u00a0interruptions in water services and heating for many hours or days\u00a0in some areas.<\/p>\n Ukraine and Russia also carried out the largest\u00a0exchange of prisoners of war (POWs) since 2022, with the sides releasing more than 3,000 people.\u00a0\u00a0However,\u00a0HRMMU observed no\u00a0improvements in the treatment of those interned.<\/p>\n \u201cSystematic and widespread torture and ill-treatment of POWs is one of the most shocking and pervasive features of this war<\/strong>,\u201d\u00a0Ms. Bell remarked.<\/p>\n A Ukrainian POW\u00a0spoke about\u00a0how he was treated\u00a0in a pre-trial detention facility in Russia.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring my whole time in the facility, we were beaten\u00a0almost every\u00a0day. The guards beat us\u00a0almost every\u00a0time we were leaving the cell for an inspection or to go to the medical unit or shower,\u201d\u00a0he\u00a0told investigators.<\/p>\n \u201cSeveral times I was beaten so badly that my body hurt for weeks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Russia recently freed 187 Ukrainian POWs and \u201c185\u00a0provided accounts of severe beatings, stress positions, electric shocks, suffocation, dog attacks and, in many cases, sexual violence,\u201d\u00a0Ms. Bell\u00a0said.<\/p>\n \u201cInterviewees also described harsh conditions of detention, limited medical care, and violence occurring during capture, transfer, admission to new facilities, and throughout\u00a0internment,\u201d\u00a0she added.<\/p>\n Monitors\u00a0also interviewed 137 POWs held by Ukraine, including 10 nationals of third countries.\u00a0More than half\u00a0provided accounts of torture and ill-treatment during interrogation or\u00a0transfer, before\u00a0arrival at official internment facilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI knew nothing, but they kept torturing me even more,\u201d a Russian POW said about his experience during interrogation in a transit place<\/p>\n The report also\u00a0documents\u00a0a rise in extrajudicial executions of\u00a0POWs.\u00a0\u00a0At least four incidents involving the killing of 10 Ukrainian servicepersons after capture by Russian forces\u00a0were assessed as credible.\u00a0<\/p>\n Four executions of Russian POWs by Ukrainian armed forces\u00a0were also recorded, alongside credible allegations of three\u00a0additional\u00a0incidents currently under review.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, authorities in Ukrainian territory under Russian occupation continued to impose measures in violation of international humanitarian law, with\u00a0worsening restrictions on freedom of movement, expression, religion, and access to independent information.\u00a0<\/p>\n In March, Russia issued a decree which set a 10 September deadline for Ukrainian citizens in these areas to get a Russian passport, residence\u00a0permit\u00a0or other document to \u201clegalise\u201d their stay or risk deportation.<\/p>\n Patterns of arbitrary arrest, prosecutions for criticism of the \u201cspecial military operation\u201d,\u00a0the use of forced confessions, and the retroactive application of criminal laws.<\/p>\n The report highlights the continued efforts of the Ukrainian authorities and humanitarians to support civilians, including large-scale evacuations, establishment of transit\u00a0centres, and delivery of medical, psychosocial, and legal\u00a0assistance.<\/p>\n This is taking place\u00a0despite extremely challenging and increasingly dangerous conditions, including attacks on humanitarians.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\nDeteriorating conditions on the frontlines<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Energy grid attacked<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Record prisoner exchange<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Limited care, extrajudicial executions<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Life under occupation<\/strong><\/h2>\n