KYIV - From 2 to 6 November 2025, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry visited Ukraine. The three Commissioners taking part in the mission - Erik Møse (Chair), Pablo de Greiff and Vrinda Grover - met with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of the Prosecutor General's Office, the Parliamentary Ombudsman, the diplomatic community, non-governmental organizations and victims of torture.
The visit follows shortly after the Commission's report of 27 October 2025 to the United Nations General Assembly, in which it found that Russian authorities have systematically coordinated actions to drive out Ukrainian civilians from their place of residence as well as deportations and transfers. In this report, the Commission concluded that attacks with short-range drones affecting numerous localities on the right bank of the Dnipro River constitute the crimes against humanity of murder and of forcible transfer of population, whereas actions to deport or transfer civilians from the occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia Oblast amount to war crimes.
Since its establishment in 2022, the Commission has visited Ukraine 26 times, and also travelled to Georgia, Estonia, the Netherlands and Poland. It has published nine written reports, including two conference room papers, one of them a comprehensive 170-page document, as well as several oral statements.
Not having had the opportunity to visit Ukraine for more than a year now, because of the liquidity crisis at the United Nations, the Commissioners consider it useful to recapitulate the main findings of the Commission since its creation. In its investigations, it applies the common standard employed by investigative bodies, "reasonable grounds to believe". The conclusions reached by the Commission are based on its own investigations and corroborated by other sources. It has documented a wide range of violations of international human rights, international humanitarian law, as well as international crimes, predominantly committed by Russian authorities in the context of Russian Federation's full-scale invasion against Ukraine on 24 February 2022. These violations have affected men, women, boys and girls, older people, and both civilians and members of the armed forces.
Starting with violations of international human rights and humanitarian law perpetrated by Russian authorities, they include indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks with explosive weapons, causing civilian casualties and destruction. Such attacks notably affected civilian objects with special protection, such as medical facilities. The Russian armed forced often failed to take precautions to avoid harming civilians. The Commission also found that Russian authorities violated international human rights and humanitarian law by spreading terror among civilians, using short-range drones.
The Commission has also determined that Russian armed forces and authorities have committed a wide range of war crimes against civilians, civilian objects, as well as members of armed forces: the transfer and deportation of children and adult civilians; attacking civilians and civilian objects; the wilful killing of civilians; killing or wounding prisoners of war or persons hors de combat; torture, rape and sexual violence, including as a form of torture, and excessive incidental death, injury, or damage, linked to attacks targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Moreover, the Commission has determined that Russian authorities have committed crimes against humanity of torture, enforced disappearances, murder and forcible transfer of population. These most serious crimes have crossed the necessary threshold for such determination since they have been committed as part of widespread and systematic attacks against the civilian population, pursuant to a state policy.
As a consequence of these violations and crimes, thousands of lives have been lost, people have been injured and maimed, loved ones murdered, property destroyed, life projects ruined, families separated, cultural objects wrecked. The pain and trauma that has been caused by a conflict of this magnitude will leave multigenerational traces.
The Commission, as an independent and objective body, has also investigated violations perpetrated by Ukrainian authorities. It has determined that they are responsible for some violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including indiscriminate attacks. In some cases, they have violated human rights of persons they accused of "collaborative activity" by subjecting them to arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, ill-treatment and enforced disappearance.
It has also examined other alleged violations committed by Ukrainian authorities but was unable to conclude the investigation due to lack of access to the territory, concerns relating to the safety of witnesses, and in the absence of response by the Russian authorities.
The Commission is committed to contributing to accountability for these crimes and violations in order to break cycles of impunity and strengthen respect for international law. The evidence collected, including identification of individuals and entities, will be of use in ongoing and future accountability proceedings. Justice is also due as a mark of respect in the memory of victims whose lives were interrupted, not by natural causes, but by deliberate acts.
The Members of the Commission have always promoted a broad notion of accountability including criminal justice, as well as other rights of victims. Therefore, measures of rehabilitation, including mental health and psychosocial support, are essential. The Commission strongly endorses comprehensive reparations programs for victims, distinct from national reconstruction projects, which in the case of an international conflict should be paid for by the aggressor state; the satisfaction of the right to truth, including the resolution of cases of missing persons; and also guarantees of non-recurrence.
This is a complex and large-scale armed conflict and much more remains to be investigated. The Commission will, to the extent of its capacity, and in accordance with its mandate, continue to do its utmost to contribute to this broad notion of accountability towards the satisfaction of all victims' rights.
