Published on: 2026-09-21
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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Victims among the civilian population
From January to September 2026, the escalation of attacks by the Russian Federation on populated areas of Ukraine using long-range weapons led to a 55 percent increase in civilian casualties compared to the same period in 2025.
Referring to Russian sources, Mese noted that the increasing number of attacks by Ukrainian armed forces on Russian territory and occupied areas has reportedly led to an increase in civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
“However, the lack of access to the strike sites hinders the investigation of these incidents,” Mese said while presenting his oral report at the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council.
The number of civilian casualties has also increased as a result of short-range drone attacks near the front line. “Russian media continue to publish videos and materials about deliberate drone attacks on civilians and even boast about it,” Mese stated.
“The Commission reminds that in its reports since 2025 it has concluded that there have been systematic attacks by Russian armed forces using short-range drones along the right bank of the Dnipro River, which constitute crimes against humanity,” he added.
These attacks were carried out with the aim of spreading terror among the civilian population, the commission notes.
In addition, due to the upcoming winter period, experts are concerned about the negative impact on the living conditions of the civilian population caused by the destruction of Ukraine’s energy facilities as a result of “systematic waves of attacks by the Russian armed forces.”
Strikes on energy infrastructure
The Commission continues to investigate incidents and violations on both sides of the front line. During its fifth mandate, that is, from March 31, 2026, the Commission focused primarily on the consequences of large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure for the civilian population, patriotic and military indoctrination imposed on children, as well as the recruitment of foreigners to participate in the armed conflict.
During the harsh winter of 2025–2026, when temperatures dropped to minus 20 degrees, the Russian armed forces continued to strike critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine, Mese reported. Power plants, power lines, heating facilities, and gas facilities were damaged or destroyed. Millions of civilians suffered due to sudden power outages and shortages or complete lack of heating for several weeks.
During discussions with commission experts, civilians reported that the temperature in their apartments dropped to levels at which many experienced health problems, including psychological disorders. Ukrainian authorities documented cases of death and injuries related to the cold. Those who had the opportunity left their homes during the coldest months.
The commission also monitored reports of attacks by Ukrainian armed forces on infrastructure facilities in the Russian Federation and on territories of Ukraine controlled by Russia.
“Patriotic education” in the occupied territories
With regard to the occupied territories of Ukraine, the commission investigated the indoctrination of Ukrainian children through Russian patriotic and military education.
“Since 2022, the Russian Federation has been strengthening and systematically emphasizing patriotic education within its curricula, which were later extended to the occupied territories. Lessons and programs dedicated to patriotic lectures about the Russian Federation were added and made mandatory, including for children aged three and older in preschool institutions,” Mes stated.
“Ukrainian children in the occupied territories are being forced to attend schools where the Russian curriculum is taught, and during the educational process the Russian Federation is glorified. Failure to comply with these requirements is accompanied by threats and coercion,” he added.
Practical military training modules, in which children are taught to handle weapons and use them, as well as perform military exercises, are part of the mandatory curriculum for children starting from the age of fourteen. State-sponsored Russian youth organizations, which further intensify patriotic ideological indoctrination and specialized military training, have expanded their presence in the occupied territories, including in schools, Mese said.
Undergoing patriotic and military training has a fundamental impact on children. For some, such training was unbearable, and therefore they decided to flee to territories under the control of the Ukrainian government, often alone.
Recruitment of Foreign Citizens
The third area of the commission’s ongoing investigations is the recruitment of foreign citizens to participate in the armed conflict. Some consciously and voluntarily joined the ranks of the armed forces of the warring parties, Mese reported, while many others were forced to join the ranks of the Russian armed forces through deception or coercion.
“Foreign citizens from different countries and continents are recruited into service in the Russian armed forces through a network of agents and intermediaries operating worldwide. They were promised lucrative civilian jobs, provided with tickets and visas, and agents met them at Russian airports. Shortly after arrival, they were forced to sign contracts with the Russian Ministry of Defense. The vast majority of them did not understand the Russian language or the terms of these contracts,” Mese declared.
Moreover, according to the commission, foreigners who were in the Russian Federation for various reasons were forced into military service and participation in the conflict.
“Many of the recruits died shortly after arriving at the front line, went missing, were wounded, or were captured by Ukrainian armed forces,” Mese said. In such situations, it is very difficult for relatives in other countries to locate missing loved ones; recruitment agencies usually block their calls.
Mez expressed gratitude to everyone who shared information with the commission, “including the government of Ukraine, organizations, and individuals affected by the armed conflict.”
He expressed regret that the Russian Federation has not responded to 41 messages sent to it by the commission’s experts since 2022.
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