ANALYSISViolations and abuses perpetrated by Russian forces in areas under their control may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity including killing, rape and the systematic use of torture against civilians, as well as grave crimes against children, such as killing, maiming, unlawful transfers and deportations

The ICC has issued arrest warrants for six Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin and former Defense Minister Shoigu, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine, such as forcibly transferring children and attacking civilian areas

Illustration by Simon Prades for TIMESince the start of the war, about 1,200 of the abducted children have returned to Ukraine, thanks mostly to the dogged efforts of their relatives and humanitarian aid organizations

In areas under their control, Russian forces have perpetrated killings, rape and torture

Ukrainian and Russian forces have committed abuses against prisoners of war (POWs), including torture and ill-treatment, and have prosecuted accused collaborators, according to the HRMMU

An estimated 14,000 people were killed and millions displaced between 2014-2022 and the International Criminal Court (ICC) found evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity

Immediately following the swap, Russia launched one of the largest attacks on Ukraine to date, firing at least 900 missiles from 24-26 May and killing 14 civilians, including three children

Ukraine Symposium Litigating the Act of Aggression as Human Rights Claimsby Revaz Tkemaladze Feb 21, 2025The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine reports that since February 2022, there have been 40,176 verified civilian casualties caused by the conflict in Ukraine 12,340 killed and 27,836 injured

They were printed in tiny letters, 339 in all, each representing a child abducted from the war zone in Ukraine and, according to authorities in Kyiv, forcibly taken to Russia

Outside of Russia, the abduction of these children is widely seen as a war crime