30 June 2026
Articles
A society speaking out: Who is protesting against Zelenskyy’s government appointments and dismissals in Ukraine – and why
The Human Rights Centre ZMINA has been following the peaceful protests since they began in July. Read ZMINA report to learn how the protests started and developed, and what motivates Ukrainians to gather in city squares every evening
Trans women now find it more difficult to obtain a diagnosis: Stereotypes, corruption and other challenges facing transgender people during wartime
ZMINA discussed these and other issues with Emiliia Kovalenko, a trans woman and head of NGO "Emancipation", Salvador Stryzh, a trans man and communications manager at NGO Resistance, and Nick, a community representative
Losing home for a second time: How Russian occupiers are “nationalising” flats and houses in Mariupol
The article also explains how Ukrainians who have left the TOT can find out whether their homes have been "expropriated", and what steps they can take to document the loss of property and preserve the prospect of redress
Russia’s indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children may amount to a crime against humanity – OSCE
The OSCE mission has documented that Russia systematically violates the rights of Ukrainian children, ranging from banning the Ukrainian language in schools to the forced conscription of boys into military service upon reaching the age of 18. The mission's legal analysis classifies the indoctrination and militarization of children as a crime against humanity, and specific episodes, including deportation and torture, as war crimes.
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Columns
“Reaching an agreement with the US on what we disagree on”: What the campaign against ICC means for Ukraine
In this column, Kateryna Rashevska, expert at the Regional Centre for Human Rights, explains what consequences this decision will have for the U.S., the ICC and Ukraine
ICC must remain free from political pressure to bring justice to victims of world’s gravest crimes
ZMINA publishes is the full statement from ICC President Judge Tomoko Akan
News
Court in Moscow confiscates 123 real estate assets belonging to Jehovah’s Witnesses
A Moscow court has confiscated more than 123 properties belonging to Jehovah's Witnesses and transferred them to the Russian state on 31 July 2026
Russian strikes kill at least 15 civilians in Ukraine on 30 July – Ukrainian police
Russian strikes on 30 July 2026 killed 15 civilians in Kyiv and the Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Lviv and Kherson Regions (Oblasts) and wounded at least 67 others, including in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kyiv Oblasts
Ukrainian parliament revises draft law increasing payments for children with disabilities: What the new amounts will be
A Ukrainian parliamentary committee on social policy has recommended that Parliament consider Bill No. 14191 for a repeated second reading. The bill would strengthen state support for children and people with disabilities since childhood, with monthly payments of up to 16,000 hryvnias
Russian FSB operative Yagudin Eldar faces prison time over torture in occupied Kherson
An officer of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) has been charged in absentia with cruel treatment of civilians and other violations of the laws and customs of war for allegedly torturing a civilian in the occupied Kherson Region
Families with children, elderly rescued from Russian strikes in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Kherson regions
Police officers and volunteers have evacuated several groups of civilians, including families with children and elderly people, from the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Kherson Regions
Russian appeal court upheld sentence against 66-year-old Melitopol resident Iryna Sukhovii
In May 2025, FSB officers detained pensioner Iryna Sukhovii. The illegitimate "Zaporizhzhia Regional Court" subsequently sentenced her to 12 years and six months in a general-regime penal colony for "high treason". The Russian occupying authorities accused her of providing financial support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 2026, the First Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction in Moscow upheld the sentence and dismissed Sukhovii’s appeal. Aleksandr Pushkin, a judge at the court, issued the ruling
Killing of 19 surrendering Malian soldiers may amount to war crime – Amnesty International
Summary killings of at least 19 Malian soldiers by members of armed groups in Tabrichat, a village in the Gao region, in northern Mali, must be investigated as war crimes, Amnesty International said after analyzing video footage of the incident which took place after the soldiers were ambushed on 18 July
Russian National Guard commander Zelimkhan Akhmerzoev tried in absentia for extorting families of tortured POW and civilians
A Ukrainian court has convicted in absentia a Russian National Guard commander who tortured a prisoner of war and civilians during the occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Region
Russian Justice Ministry targets more activists of Crimean Solidarity grassroots movement
On 24 June 2026, the Russian Justice Ministry expanded the list of people it considers members of the Crimean Solidarity grassroots movement, which had previously been added to Russia’s register of foreign agents. The list now contains 137 names
Two captured Russian soldiers charged with torturing elderly man seeking food for sick mother in Kharkiv Oblast
Two privates from the Russian Armed Forces' 128th Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade, part of the Leningrad Military District's 44th Army Corps, have been charged with the cruel treatment of a civilian for torturing a man during the occupation of the Kharkiv Region
Kharkiv police detain Azerbaijani opposition activist; Ukraine rights groups demand no extradition to Baku
The human rights advocates also recalled that under the principle of non-refoulement, enshrined in the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, a state may not return a person to a country where their life is at risk if there are substantial grounds for believing that they may face other violations of fundamental human rights, such as torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
Russian strikes across Ukraine kill eight, including three children, wound at least 16 overnight (updated)
Russian strikes overnight on July 30, 2026, caused civilian casualties and widespread damage across the capital of Kyiv and the Kyiv, Lviv, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zhytomyr and Poltava regions.
Russian strikes kill nine civilians across Ukraine on 27 July
Russian military strikes on 27 July 2026 killed nine civilians in the Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Donetsk and Kharkiv Regions (Oblasts), while at least 77 others were injured in attacks that also struck the Zaporizhzhia and Sumy Oblasts
OSCE condemns Russian strikes on Ukrainian newsrooms
The statement also refers to other recent attacks on Ukrainian regional media, including damage to the newsroom of Kordon.Media in Sumy on 17 July and to Inform.zp.ua in Zaporizhzhia on 21 July
HIV funding cut by a fifth: UNAIDS warns of epidemic resurgence as 570,000 AIDS deaths recorded in 2025
UNAIDS estimates that 20 million people need access to antiretroviral-based prevention to have a real impact in stopping new HIV infections
Six Russian commanders sentenced in absentia for 2022 assault on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Ukrainian court has convicted six Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) officers in absentia of violating the laws and customs of war over the assault on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
Service members in drug addiction treatment referred for medical re-evaluations – Ukraine’s Military Ombudsman’s Office
Service members undergoing opioid agonist treatment (OAT) will be referred for repeat medical assessments. So far, 163 service members have been referred to appropriate medical specialists for consultation, including 82 referred for repeat assessments by military medical commissions
LGBTIQ+ service members still face hostility within units and cannot register civil partnerships – study
LGBTIQ+ service members in Ukraine continue to face homophobia and discrimination in the military, while the inability to register civil partnerships remains one of their most pressing challenges, according to the first comprehensive study on the situation of LGBTIQ+ people serving in Ukraine's military
Russia strikes Kyiv and Donetsk regions: At least 15 dead, dozens injured on 24 July
Russian military strikes on July 24, 2026, killed 10 people and injured about 100 others in the Kyiv Region (Oblast), while another five civilians were killed and nine were injured in the city of Sloviansk in the Donetsk Oblast
Russian aerial bomb strike on Sloviansk kills at least five, injures nine
At least five people have been killed, and nine have been injured in a Russian attack on Sloviansk in the Donetsk Oblast
UNESCO adds Tauric Chersonese in temporarily occupied Crimea to “in danger” heritage list
The ruins of Chersonesus date back over two millennia. Chersonesus, which is under the control of the occupying state, the Russian Federation, has suffered large-scale unauthorised excavations, major construction projects and the removal of artefacts. These actions, carried out by the occupying authorities, have caused irreversible damage to the integrity and authenticity of the archaeological site
Ukrainian woman attacked in Paris by Russian speakers in alleged hate crime, witness says
In the comments section of the post, internet users urged the Ukrainian Embassy in France to respond to the situation and assist the victim
Law professor who helped draft Rome Statute accuses Washington of ICC double standard
Sands noted that the U.S. Senate strongly supported ICC efforts to investigate alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine before Washington strongly opposed the ICC after its prosecutor sought arrest warrants for three Hamas members and two Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Russian strikes kill 10 civilians in Ukraine on 21 July
Russian military strikes on July 21 killed ten civilians in the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Kharkiv Regions (Oblasts), while at least 67 others were injured in attacks that also struck the Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy Oblasts
Ukraine’s mortality rate exceeds birth rate fourfold
Birth rates have fallen most sharply in regions close to the front line. The Donetsk Region (Oblast) has seen births decline threefold, while the Zaporizhzhia Oblast recorded a 23% decrease. At the same time, the number of newborns has also dropped significantly in relatively secure regions. Births fell by 20% in the Vinnytsia, Lviv and Ternopil Oblasts
Crimean Solidarity grass-roots initiative ceases operations
The movement stressed that many of its members who assisted victims of political repression had themselves faced fines, administrative detention and criminal prosecution. These activities were among the reasons why Crimean Solidarity was added to the register
Russian strikes kill 12 civilians in Ukraine on 21 July
Russian military strikes on July 20 killed, 2026, 12 civilians in the Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk Regions (Oblasts), while at least 82 others were injured in attacks that also struck the Sumy, Kherson and Chernihiv Oblasts
Government backs bill to establish new family-based care as foster families starting in 2027
The legislation would strengthen oversight of children's rights, establish staffing and operational standards for child welfare services, and introduce a system of continuous professional development for their personnel
Ignoring requests and withholding data: How access to information Is upheld in Ukraine during wartime
The authors stress that martial law does not suspend the right of access to public information and cannot serve as a blanket justification for withholding data, ignoring information requests, restricting access to court rulings or removing information from public registries without transparent procedures
Russian occupation forces detained man in Melitopol over online comments posted in 2022
Russian security forces claim that in September 2022, he posted messages in a public Telegram group for local residents. The occupation authorities classified them as "public calls to the performance of terrorist acts"
Russia launches missile strikes on civilian ship in Black Sea, killing at least 10 civilians onboard (updated)
Ukrainian Navy stated that Russian forces launched a missile strike on a Guinea-Bissau-flagged civilian vessel carrying a cargo of grain in the Black Sea off the coast of Odesa. Russians killed 10 crew members
Massive overnight Russian attack on Ukraine leaves four dead, others injured (updated)
One person was killed, and 15 others were injured in an overnight Russian attack on Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Ukraine's State Emergency Service (SES) stated. Nine of the injured were hospitalised, including three who remain in critical condition
Dzhankoi district resident sentenced to four years in penal colony over comments about illegal construction of Kerch Bridge by Russian occupiers
Russian occupying investigators allege that Mykola Semiletov posted comments on Telegram calling for the destruction of the Kerch Bridge and the killing of Russians and political figures
Hungary blocks opening of two more EU accession clusters for Ukraine
Hungary backed the launch of the procedure to open Cluster 3 for Moldova but withheld its support for the same step for Ukraine, effectively preventing the process from moving forward for either country
Russian strikes kill 10 civilians in Ukraine on 9 July
Russian military strikes on 9 July 2026 killed 10 civilians in Kyiv and the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Odesa, Kherson and Kharkiv Regions (Oblasts), and injured at least 81 people, including in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions
ICC dismantling would destroy hope for justice – Ukraine’s victims and civil society
Ukrainian civil society organisations are concerned that U.S. actions - and even threats thereof - may result in significant damage to the work of the Court, including disruption of operations, lack of support and cooperation from states, as well as disincentivisation of victims and CSOs to engage with the ICC
FSB detained local resident in occupied Crimea over pro-Ukrainian comments
A criminal case was opened against the man under Article 280(2) ("Public calls for extremist activities") of the Russian Criminal Code. Occupation law enforcement officers also said they were considering opening a case under Article 205.2(2) ("Public calls to the performance of terrorist acts") of the Russian Criminal Code.
Russian strikes kill 18 civilians in Ukraine on 15 July
Russian military strikes on July 15, 2026, killed 18 civilians in the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and Sumy Regions (Oblasts), and injured at least 104 people, including in the Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's National Police reported
“Hands off those who work”: Protesters in central Kyiv rally against Mykhailo Fedorov’s dismissal
Similar rallies were held the same day in several other Ukrainian cities, including Lviv, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Ivano-Frankivsk and Dnipro. Participants voiced opposition to the latest government reshuffle and urged the authorities to preserve institutional continuity during wartime
Internally displaced people, citizen with disabilities and older adults living alone most likely to become homeless in Ukraine – study
Throughout April 2026, researchers surveyed 1,090 respondents in Kyiv, Odesa, Kharkiv and Lviv. Participants included homeless adults who use shelters and meal distribution points, experts working in the field, and members of the general public from across Ukraine
Ukrainian, Hungarian ombudsmen agree on reciprocal visits to monitor minority rights
According to the Ukraine's Ombudsman's Office, 91 educational institutions in Ukraine's Zakarpattia Region (Oblast) provide instruction in Hungarian to 12,975 students, while another 2,550 students study Hungarian as a separate subject
Russia strikes Sumy with aerial bombs: At least 3 killed, 17 injured
The attack also damaged a critical infrastructure facility, a medical building and seven cars
Draft Ombudsman bill strengthens institution but carries politicization risks, Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research warns
According to the experts, one of the bill's main advantages is its alignment with European Union and Council of Europe standards. The effectiveness and independence of national human rights institutions remain key benchmarks in assessing Ukraine's compliance with the rule of law during its EU accession process
Over half of Ukrainians support civil partnerships for LGBT+ – sociological study
On July 10, the nongovernmental organisation Fulcrum UA presented the results of the survey, which KIIS conducted in May and June 2026. Sociologists surveyed 2,007 respondents to assess Ukrainians' attitudes toward LGBT+ people and the level of support for their rights
Russian attacks on three merchant vessels in Black Sea and kill three people
"Russia is once again demonstrating a complete disregard for international law by deliberately attacking civilian ports and commercial vessels. These strikes are not only war crimes against Ukraine but also a direct threat to international shipping security, freedom of navigation and global food security," USPA stated
Russian strikes kill four civilians in Ukraine on 13 July
The fatalities were reported in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kherson Regions (Oblasts), while injuries were recorded in those regions as well as the Kharkiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Odesa regions
Illegitimate “court” in temporarily occupied Crimea punishes woman for calling for protests over power and water outages
On social media, local residents complained about the lack of electricity and water, saying they were unable to live or work normally. They wrote that businesses had come to a standstill, workers were not being paid, and families were forced to care for children and carry water up to flats in multi-storey buildings without electricity
Man attacks Ukrainian children on bus in Poland; police launch investigation
The attacker was later identified as an employee of the city's public transit company who was on sick leave at the time
Yellow-and-blue pillowcases bring people to court: Occupation authorities issue more than 1,500 rulings for “discrediting” the Russian army
The largest number of such cases was heard by the "Armiansk City Court", which issued 495 rulings - almost a third of all documented cases
Russian strikes across Ukraine kills at least seven, injures 65 in a single day (updated)
The rescue operation is ongoing, and information regarding the aftermath of the strike is being clarified
Russian attack in Kyiv injures 10, including a child overnight
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that over the course of the night, Russians launched more than 120 drones and 12 missiles, half of them ballistic. Our defenders managed to shoot down most of the targets – but not the ballistic ones
Russian shelling kills 5 civilians in Ukraine on 9 July
Russian attacks on 9 July killed five civilians and injured at least 79 others across six Ukrainian Regions (oblasts), according to the National Police. Those killed were in the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Kharkiv Oblasts, while the injured were reported in those regions as well as the Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk Oblasts
Chinese media expand their presence in Ukraine’s occupied territories and promote Kremlin narratives, RSF says
Although China does not officially recognise Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory, its media presence there continues to expand. As Vira Yastrebova, director of the Eastern Human Rights Group, pointed out, Chinese media actors frequently reproduce or reinforce Russian propaganda narratives
UK condemns Russia’s militarization and indoctrination of Ukrainian children, demands release of Ivan Zabavskyi and detained OSCE staff
The report published by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights concluded that Russia has violated International Humanitarian Law on a grand scale and is responsible for numerous and overlapping violations of International Human Rights Law.
Forty-four cases of child recruitment by Russian special services uncovered in Kharkiv Oblast alone over four years
So far this year, six additional cases have been identified, involving three boys and three girls
Russian soldier Mumadi Magomedov charged in absentia with raping minor in Kherson Oblast
Magomedov is suspected of abducting a minor from a village street on March 24, 2024, along with an unidentified Russian soldier using the call sign "Khoma"
Illegal detentions and broken ribs: Ukraine’s ombudsman details critical human rights violations during mobilization in the country
Lubinets argued that Ukraine should abandon quota-based mobilisation targets and instead strengthen incentives, including financial ones, to encourage military service. He also proposed transforming TCRSS facilities into service centres equipped with video surveillance cameras, and ending the practice of staff wearing balaclavas and conducting identity checks without police involvement
The first issue of the Crimean Tatar newspaper Qırım was published 37 years ago
According to available estimates, between 2021 and 2024 alone, the occupation authorities imposed at least 658,000 Russian roubles in fines on the newspaper, its Editor-in-Chief and its founder
Court bars Anti-Corruption Action Centre and Slidstvo.Info from publishing investigation into 143 properties linked to SBI director’s brother
According to AntAC, the court issued the order as a provisional measure pending the filing of a future lawsuit. However, no lawsuit has been filed yet, and the court has not considered the case on its merits
European Bureau for Conscientious Objection urges Ukraine to pass alternative service law amid war
The bureau also said Ukraine's failure to meet its commitments stems from the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff's "categorical position" requiring conscientious objectors to perform "alternative" service in non-combat military positions. According to EBCO, this contradicts the religious beliefs of a significant number of Ukrainian conscientious objectors
Valve is still whitewashing Russia’s Kyiv offensive, international crimes in Russian game, profiting from it on Steam
The game features six missions detailing events from the initial paratrooper assault on the Antonov Airport to the subsequent withdrawal of Russian troops at the end of March 2022. Experts point out that the game's attempts at historical revisionism and war crime denial
Russian strike on Kyiv Oblast at least 26, injures 64; Ukraine intercepts no ballistic missiles amid lack of Patriot missiles (updated)
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko stated that Russian ballistic missiles hit several buildings across the city. According to Klitschko, fires had broken out in some apartment complexes
Ukraine warns of Kremlin operation using Volhynia tragedy to damage ties with Poland
On the night of 4-5 July, Russia Today published an article citing supposedly "declassified" FSB files. The article accused Dmytro Kliachkivskyi, one of the commanders of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), of killing 11 Catholic priests and nearly 2,000 Poles in the town of Volodymyr-Volynskyi in early summer 1943
Netherlands to host full Special Tribunal on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine
The Minister said the Netherlands decided to host not only the preparatory phases of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine (Phase 0 – Advance Team; Phase 1 – Skeleton Tribunal), but also its full operational phase (Phase 2 – fully fledged operational Special Tribunal)
Russia’s Supreme Court upholds sentence of man convicted over pro-Ukraine comments
He was convicted under Part 2 of Article 205.2 ("Public calls for terrorist activity") of the Russian Criminal Code and Part 2 of Article 280 ("Public calls for extremist activity") of the same code
Russian aerial bomb attack on Sumy kills 4, including civilians, injures children (updated)
According to the Regional Military Administration, at least three people were killed. Several others were injured, including a 13-year-old child, and are being transported to hospitals
Crimean political prisoner Lenur Khalilov, who has cancer, is in critical condition
More than two months ago, Khalilov was transferred from a penal colony to a regional hospital run by Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service in the Arkhangelsk Region (Oblast). However, the prescribed treatment has yielded no results, failing to halt the progression of the disease or alleviate his pain
At least 40 Ukrainian civilians killed and 149 others injured in Russian strikes on 2 July
At least 40 Ukrainian civilians were killed and more than 100 others injured in Russian attacks across Ukraine on 2 July 2026, according to the National Police of Ukraine
Russians kill at least 31 Ukrainian in large-scale missile and drone strikes on Kyiv (updated)
Ukraine's air force said Russia had launched 74 missiles and 496 drones overnight, mainly targeting the capital. While the country's air defences were able to repel most of these, 25 ballistic missiles and 12 drones struck 33 locations
