Russian authorities organized human trafficking to recruit fighters for the war
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine presented a report to the UN General Assembly on October 26, 2026. The document states that Russian strikes against energy infrastructure constitute war crimes. This was reported by UN Human Rights Office citing Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, according to the portal PromPolitInform.
The investigators examined the impact of large-scale shelling on Ukraine’s energy grid during the winter of 2025-2026, alongside the cumulative effect since 2022. Winter temperatures dropped to minus 21 degrees Celsius, causing prolonged outages of heating, electricity, water, and gas for millions of residents.
Severe Consequences of the Winter Crisis
Ongoing destruction and the lack of basic utilities placed a heavy burden on the physical and mental health of civilians in Ukraine. Older persons, individuals with reduced mobility, and families with young children suffered particularly harsh conditions. Due to elevator shutdowns during air raid alerts and unheated homes, many people remained isolated without access to essential services and medications.
Erik Møse, Chair of the Commission, stated that as temperatures drop, these attacks intensify once again, posing a direct threat to human life and health. The gathered evidence shows that targeted strikes were carried out in pursuance of state policy to create unbearable living conditions. According to experts, Russian commanders understood the critical importance of heating facilities for large population centers.
Human Trafficking and Military Recruitment
In addition to energy attacks, the commission uncovered evidence of men from 29 countries being trafficked into the armed forces of the Russian Federation. Recruits were lured through deception and coercion by entities posing as legitimate businesses. Upon arrival, foreigners were forced to sign contracts in Russian with the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation and deployed to frontlines.
The commission relied on accounts from 255 individuals who endured difficult winter months in Dnipro, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Zaporizhzhia, and Zhytomyr. Experts emphasize that international law strictly prohibits attacks on civilian objects and demand an immediate halt to such actions. The commission also calls for the discharge of all trafficked foreign nationals from the Russian army.
Illustrative photo: Misha Reme / CC BY-SA 4.0
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