More than 100,000 incidents of war crimes and other international crimes committed during Russia's aggression against Ukraine have been documented by Ukrainian civil society organisations, the European External Action Service (EEAS) announced on 7 July 2026. The milestone was highlighted at a project launch event in Lviv on 6 July, where EU officials and human rights groups discussed the role of civil society in pursuing accountability. The project, funded by the European Union with a contribution of €720,000 over 24 months, is implemented by the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, ADC Memorial Brussels, the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, and the Centre for Civil Liberties.
Since Russia's initial aggression in 2014, civil society organisations have been key actors in documenting international crimes, collecting victim testimonies and submitting materials to national and international justice mechanisms. The scale of this work increased dramatically after the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. Asier Santillan, Head of the European Integration, Governance and Rule of Law, Civil Society Section of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, stated at the event: "EU goal is clear: truth will be established, justice will be done, and there will be no escape for war criminals." He added that the EU supports the fight against impunity in Ukraine, noting that the crime of aggression is the root of all other crimes.
Participants emphasised that documentation serves multiple purposes beyond court proceedings: it helps establish the fate of missing persons, support victims, draw international attention to Russia's crimes, and preserve historical memory. Yevhen Zakharov, Director of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, noted that the most challenging task is locating where Ukrainian prisoners of war and unlawfully detained civilians are being held. Oleksandr Pavlichenko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, stressed the project's objective to assist Ukrainian law enforcement in investigating alleged war crimes at both national and international levels through various judicial and quasi-judicial mechanisms.
Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Centre for Civil Liberties, highlighted the importance of international solidarity: "Russia's goal is to destroy the Ukrainian state and all Ukrainians who defend and support their country. We must ensure that people around the world understand the nature of this war and continue to support Ukraine." The next stage of the project includes a specialised seminar on 7–8 July in Lviv focusing on methodologies for interviewing children about violations of their rights during the war. Stefaniia Kulaieva, researcher at ADC Memorial Brussels, noted that years of war have affected millions of children and that their rights must remain a matter of international attention, with children's views heard in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Participants agreed that without systematic work by civil society and support from international partners, documenting international crimes on this scale would be impossible, and without proper documentation, achieving justice is impossible. The project is expected to continue for 24 months, with the EU funding supporting documentation, victim support, and awareness-raising activities.