The Russia-Ukraine War: Human Rights Implications and Barriers to Peace

Author: Kate Minichiello

July 16, 2026

A woman carries a baby near a residential house damaged after a Russian strike in Kyiv, Ukraine, June 2, 2026 [Image credit: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP]

Introduction

The Russia-Ukraine war has taken a back-seat when it comes to dominating news headlines while the Iran war replaced it. The Russia-Ukraine war has now gone on longer than World War I and shows no signs of de-escalation, putting civilians at continued risk; however, Ukrainian citizens have suffered disproportionately as a result of Russia’s invasion, occupation, and repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure (Méheut). The war has created a human rights crisis affecting civilians' access to energy, crucial infrastructure, a healthy environment, and the basic needs for survival. The United States and European allies must put an increased pressure on the Russian economy through sanctions and increase the financial and military assistance to Ukraine to push Putin towards a negotiation. 

Background

History of the Russia-Ukraine relationship

Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with many other Russian government officials, believe Ukraine belongs to Russia because of the long history where Ukraine was under Russian rule. The geographical location of Ukraine, between NATO countries and Russia, and the cultural ties between the Russian and Ukrainian people are often points in favor of Putin's argument for Russia's right to the land. Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, however there was always a Ukrainian nationalist movement. Immediately following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the end of the Cold War, along with many other former Soviet Republics, Ukraine declared independence while maintaining a neutral stance between Western nations and Russia. Throughout the following 20 years, Ukrainian leadership switched between pro-Western and pro-Russian views. When under pro-Western leadership, like Viktor Yuschenko, Ukraine applied to join NATO. Needing a unanimous approval from all member-states, Ukraine was denied membership by France and Germany who understood Russia’s clear message - NATO expansion would lead to war, an outcome with high stakes considering Russia holds nuclear weapons (Kennedy).

Beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War 

Russia’s first modern territorial expansion into Ukraine began after protestors successfully ousted pro-Russian leader Yanokovych in 2014 for refusing to join the Europe Union (Kennedy). Putin viewed this as a pro-Western move and counteracted it by annexing Crimea, claiming an un-official referendum suggested most Crimeans were in favor of joining Russia anyway (Kennedy). The war officially began in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine (Center for Preventive Action). NATO has continued to deny Ukraine membership to avoid direct confrontation with Russia. NATO membership would allow Ukraine to invoke Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, requiring all member states to assist in Ukraine's defense until security is restored (NATO). Although Western states have avoided sending troops, many states have supported Ukraine by sending military equipment or financial aid while imposing sanctions on Russia, greatly intensifying Russian economic and military strains (Kennedy). 

The Current State of the Russia-Ukraine War

According to New York Times writer Serge Schmemann, the war has entered a new phase, becoming a “battle in the sky” (Schmemann). Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in a recent interview, “If you stop the enemy on the battlefield, if you stop the war on land, and if you deny him dominance at sea… then the next battlefield becomes the sky” (Schmemann). On July 6, Russia launched an intense attack using drones and missiles. Ukraine failed to intercept a single ballistic missile, signaling to its allies the need for a new air defense strategy. On July 14, Ukraine and nine other countries announced a new Integrated Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition (Schmemann).

As of 2026, Russia occupies around 20% of Ukraine (Center for Preventive Action). According to the United Nations, Moscow's increased use of long-range weapons is likely the reason Ukrainian casualty “figures so far this year are roughly 20 per cent higher than the same period in 2025”. The number of civilian deaths in 2025 is 70% higher than in 2023, showing an increasingly violent war (United Nations). There has been no progress towards a peace deal as the Kremlin reported on June 29th that Russia’s position on a peace deal is in the same spot as it was in 2024, requiring that Kyviv’s forces must withdraw from four regions and end all plans to join NATO (AFP and Reuters). Ukraine recently announced a 40 day plan of missile and drone strikes on critical industrial buildings to increase the economic pressure and push Putin towards a peace deal (Buckby).

Destruction of Energy Infrastructure

The destruction of energy infrastructure across Ukraine and in parts of Russia leaves civilians without energy for hours, days, and sometimes over a week at a time. Russia carried out attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure almost daily when the months grew colder in the winter of 2025-2026 (Amnesty). Russian forces specifically attacked infrastructure related to district heating systems knowing the pressure it would place on citizens as the temperatures dropped (United Nations). In 2025, Ukrainian energy generation was reaching less than half of its pre-war levels, causing heating and power shortages across the country. In retaliation, Ukraine launched attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, leading to temporary local power blackouts for Russian civilians. The lack of energy leaves civilians struggling to find access to water and air conditioning throughout the coldest and hottest months of the year, putting their health at risk. Water is becoming increasingly scarce as crucial infrastructure turns to ruins (Amnesty). The repeated attacks on crucial infrastructure to make civilian lives unsustainable is a war crime.

Death Toll on Civilians and Prisoners of War

The UN human rights office conducted 216 interviews between June 2023 and September 2025 with Ukrainian civilian detainees, finding consistent claims of ill-treatment and torture during custody. The report also noted that a total of 38 civilians died in Russian custody due to ill-treatment or torture. By the end of spring 2026, the total number of Russian and Ukrainian casualties will likely reach 2 million (Jones and McCabe). In February 2026, the United Nations released a report on the key facts and findings of the last four years of the war. According to the report, more than 15,000 civilians have died and over 41,000 have been injured (United Nations).

Under the Geneva Conventions, prisoners of war (POW) are guaranteed protection against ill-treatment and torture, however, there are at least 322 cases in which Ukrainian POW, military personnel and civilians captured by Russian forces, were executed extrajudicially (Amnesty). Moscow continues to deny any international monitors, grant rights groups, or health workers entry into areas containing POW so evidence of ill-treatment and torture are from released prisoners reports. The reports point to the same conclusion of repeated denial of medical care and malnutrition. One prisoner left Russian captivity at roughly 88 pounds and another died of poor health 6 months after being released (Amnesty). In 2024, the U.N. released a report showing that 95% of released prisoners endured systematic torture, including beating, mock execution, sexual violence, suffocation, and electric shock (Arhirova et al.). Often, the first time Ukrainian families are notified of the passing of their family members is when their bodies are transported back to them. These families are left waiting on an autopsy report to understand how their family member died. However, they may never know the cause because Ukrainian officials claim Ukrainian POWs are mutilated or held until decomposition in order to cover up the true cause of death (Arhirova et al.). Unlike in Russia, Amnesty International delegates were allowed to visit Russian POWs who expressed they experienced ill-treatment at the time of capture and a limited range of food at the camps where they are held (Amnesty). However, according to the U.N., Ukraine’s violations of international law in terms of POW treatment are much less common and less severe than the accusations against Russian forces (Arhirova et al.).

Environmental Impact 

The war continues to generate an enormous amount of greenhouse gases, increasingly damaging the environment for Ukraine, Russia, and the entire world. A team of scientists from multiple accredited institutions have been tracking the impacts the war has on the surrounding climate. As of February 2026, it is estimated that the war has emitted 311 million tonnes of CO2. The intensive use of fuel and ammunition for the constant attacks accounts for roughly 37% of the emissions. Another large portion of the emissions, ~23%, will come from the reconstruction of all destroyed infrastructure. The fires started from attacks account for another 23% of the total emissions (Pavlinec). The emissions worsened air and water quality for both states' civilians, greatly impacting their right to a healthy environment, while also contributing to climate change long-term.

Destruction of Civilian Infrastructure

Against international humanitarian law, Moscow has carried out strikes in heavily populated areas, specifically targeting civilian infrastructure and civilian populations. These strikes  amount to war crimes (Amnesty). Russian forces have continuously bombed regions known to house a large number of civilians, completely destroying homes, healthcare buildings, and educational facilities (Human Rights Watch). While it is a violation of international law to target civilian infrastructure, Russian forces have repeatedly attacked densely populated regions and destroyed the most crucial infrastructure with the intention of increasing pressure on the civilian population, leading to pressure on the Ukrainian economy and government.

Why have Ukraine and Russia Failed to Agree to a Peace Deal?

The U.S. has pressured Ukraine to make territorial concessions to Russia to reach a peace deal, but Ukrainian negotiators have refused. Both Russia and Ukraine still feel strongly that they hold the right to the contested land, making it difficult to find a deal both states can agree upon. 

Putin has expressed with great confidence that Russia will take over Ukraine and speaks positively about the current situation. However, in reality, Russian troops are moving at a speed “slower than the most brutal offensive campaigns over the last century”, gaining 70 meters per day and a total of 1.5% of Ukrainian territory over the course of the entire war (Jones and McCabe). Russia is increasingly taking on economic strain, with a decline in manufacturing and increase in inflation. The Russian battlefield casualties amount to roughly 1.2 million people, the highest casualty rate of any major power since World War II (Jones and McCabe). Putin entered the war expecting a quicker and cheaper war, but he has yet to give in to the pressure, showing his commitment to preventing NATO expansion and refusing to accept Ukraine as an independent state. 

Despite the incredibly slow advancements, declining economy, and high casualty rate, the Kremlin continues to push a disinformation campaign to convince policymakers and Russian citizens that a Russian victory will occur one way or another. However, it is clear that Russia has several vulnerabilities that the Western nations can use as pressure to reach a peace deal. An increased use of sanctions, specifically against the Russian energy sector, is a crucial pressure point for negotiation. This includes imposing tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil or gas. Additionally, Moscow cannot continue to lose troops at the current rate. Continued and increased military or financial assistance from Western nations to Ukraine will send a message to the Kremlin of a persistent strength in Ukraine while Russian forces are failing. Without an increased strain on the Russian economy and an increased support behind the Ukrainian military, specifically during the 40 days of Ukrainian strikes, Putin will continue to drag the war out and refuse any peace deal that requires an independent Ukraine (Jones and McCabe).

---

Glossary

• Annexing: taking control of a territory and adding it to another country

• Article 5: the part of the NATO treaty stating that an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all members

• Autopsy: a medical examination of a dead body to determine the cause of death

• Casualties: people who are killed, wounded, injured, or missing because of war or disaster

• Civilian infrastructure: buildings and systems used by ordinary people, such as homes, hospitals, schools, power systems, and water systems

• Climate change: long-term changes in Earth’s temperature, weather patterns, and climate systems

• CO2: carbon dioxide, a gas released by burning fuels and other processes that contributes to climate change

• Decomposition: the natural process by which a dead body or organic matter breaks down

• De-escalation: a decrease in the intensity or seriousness of a conflict or situation

• Detainees: people held in custody, often by a government or military authority

• Disinformation: false information spread on purpose to mislead people

• District heating systems: systems that provide heat to multiple buildings from one central source

• Emissions: gases or substances released into the air

• Energy infrastructure: systems used to produce, deliver, or supply energy, such as power plants, heating systems, and electrical grids

• Energy sector: the part of the economy involved in producing, distributing, and selling energy

• Extrajudicially: done outside the legal court system or without legal authority

• Greenhouse gases: gases that trap heat in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane

• Human rights: basic rights and freedoms that are considered to belong to every person

• Ill-treatment: cruel, harmful, or improper treatment

• Inflation: a general rise in prices and decrease in the value of money

• Infrastructure: the basic systems and structures a society needs to function, such as roads, power, water, hospitals, and schools

• International humanitarian law: rules that limit the effects of war and protect people who are not taking part in fighting

• International monitors: people or organizations that observe and report whether laws, rules, or agreements are being followed

• Malnutrition: poor health caused by not having enough food or the right kinds of food

• Mental health: a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being

• Mock execution: a fake or staged execution used to frighten or psychologically harm someone

• Mutilated: severely damaged, especially by cutting or destroying parts of the body

• NATO: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a military alliance between countries in North America and Europe

• Negotiation: a discussion meant to help people or groups reach an agreement

• Neutral: not supporting either side in a conflict or disagreement

• Policymakers: people responsible for creating laws, plans, or government policies

• Prisoners of war: people, usually members of the armed forces, who are captured by the enemy during war

• Referendum: a vote in which people are asked to decide or give their opinion on a political question

• Respite: a short period of rest or relief from something difficult

• Sanctions: official penalties or restrictions used to pressure a country, group, or person

• Scarce: difficult to find or not available in large enough amounts

• Sexual violence: sexual acts or threats carried out by force, coercion, or without consent

• Suffocation: the condition of being unable to breathe or being deprived of air

• Tariffs: taxes placed on goods imported from another country

• Territorial concessions: agreements to give up control or claims over land

• Territorial expansion: the act of gaining or taking control of more land

• Torture: the intentional causing of severe physical or mental pain

• War crime: a serious violation of the laws that govern conduct during war 

---

References

1. AFP and Reuters. “Russian Missile and Drone Attacks Kill at Least Eight in Ukraine.” Al Jazeera, 29 June 2026, www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/29/russian-missile-and-drone-attacks-kill-at-least-eight-in-ukraine. 

2. Arhirova, Hanna, Vasilisa Stepanenko, and Illia Novikov. “As Ukrainian POWs Die in Russian Prisons, Autopsies Point to a System of Brutality.” Associated Press, 27 May 2025, www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/as-ukrainian-pows-die-in-russian-prisons-autopsies-point-to-a-system-of-brutality/. 

3. Buckby, Jack. “Ukraine Just Promised Russia 40 Days of Strikes. The Real Problem Is That Putin Has No Good Way to Respond.” National Security Journal, 26 June 2026, nationalsecurityjournal.org/ukraine-just-promised-russia-40-days-of-strikes-the-real-problem-is-that-putin-has-no-good-way-to-respond/. 

4. Center for Preventive Action. “War in Ukraine.” Global Conflict Tracker, Council on Foreign Relations, updated 24 Feb. 2026, www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-ukraine. 

5. Human Rights Watch. “Russia-Ukraine War.” Human Rights Watch, www.hrw.org/tag/russia-ukraine-war. 

6. Jones, Seth G., and Riley McCabe. “Russia’s Grinding War in Ukraine: Massive Losses and Tiny Gains for a Declining Power.” Center for Strategic and International Studies, 27 Jan. 2026, www.csis.org/analysis/russias-grinding-war-ukraine. 

7. Kennedy, Adrienne. “2021–2022 Russo-Ukrainian Crisis.” EBSCO Research Starters, EBSCO Information Services, 2022, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/military-history-and-science/2021-2022-russo-ukrainian-crisis. 

8. Maloletka, Evgeniy. “A Woman Carries a Baby near a Residential House Damaged after a Russian Strike in Kyiv, Ukraine.” AP News, Associated Press, 2 June 2026, apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-kyiv-drones-missiles-938c74b107d9bb8dc16b179d76125e50. 

9. Méheut, Constant. “The War in Ukraine Has Now Gone On Longer Than World War I.” The New York Times, 11 June 2026, www.nytimes.com/2026/06/11/world/europe/ukraine-russia-world-war-i.html. 

10. NATO. “Collective Defence and Article 5.” NATO, updated 12 Nov. 2025, www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/introduction-to-nato/collective-defence-and-article-5. 

11. Pavlinec, Agata. “War in Ukraine Has Generated 311 Million Tonnes of CO2 – New Report Reveals the Scale of Emissions.” Wodne Sprawy, 25 Feb. 2026, wodnesprawy.pl/en/war-in-ukraine-generated-millions-t-of-co2/. 

12. Schmemann, Serge. “Why Patriots and Drones Are Key to Ukraine’s Defense.” The New York Times, 14 July 2026, www.nytimes.com/2026/07/14/opinion/ukraine-russia-patriots-drones.html.

13. United Nations. “UN Deplores Another Wave of Russian Attacks across Ukraine.” UN News, 2 June 2026, news.un.org/en/story/2026/06/1167622.