On August 1, 2025, a meeting was held at the Prosecutor General's Office with the participation of Deputy Prosecutor General Andriy Leshchenko, representatives of diplomatic institutions, international organizations, and international technical assistance projects working in Ukraine in the field of international justice.

The event was attended by 25 representatives of international partners, including from the embassies of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Japan, Italy, Canada, the USA, as well as the Representation of the European Union, the UN, the Council of Europe, the EU Advisory Mission, the Global Rights Compliance foundation, the International Organization for Development Law in Ukraine (IDLO), the EU project Pravo-Justice, and others.

From the Prosecutor General’s Office, the meeting was also attended by heads of structural departments that provide procedural supervision in cases regarding international crimes, as well as specialists responsible for supporting victims and witnesses.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state of cooperation and the determination of further steps, particularly in the field of international crime investigation.

«To date, more than 170 thousand war crimes committed by representatives of the aggressor state have been documented. This is the biggest challenge for the international justice system since the Second World War», – emphasized Andriy Leshchenko.

He highlighted the scale and horrific consequences of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. As of July 31, 2025, as a result of the full-scale invasion, 15,258 civilians had been killed, including 640 children. Another 34,052 individuals, including 2,075 children, were injured. More than 235 thousand civilian infrastructure facilities had been destroyed or damaged.

In total, more than 170 thousand war crimes were recorded, including: extrajudicial executions of Ukrainian prisoners of war; mass use of torture chambers in the occupied territories; a repressive judicial system operating in the captured territories and in Russia itself; sexual violence, including against children; forced displacement and deportation of Ukrainian citizens; systemic crimes against property in the occupied territories; and the use of chemical weapons.

«We are not dealing with individual episodes, but with systemic practices that constitute violations of international humanitarian law and are crimes against humanity», – noted Andriy Leshchenko.

So far, 965 individuals have been notified of suspicion, indictments against 697 individuals have been sent to trial, and 194 individuals have already been convicted.

«We don't just document crimes. We are building an evidentiary basis that will form the foundation of the decisions of international and national courts, including the special tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine», – emphasized Andriy Leshchenko.

Representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office presented the structure and directions of activity of the Department for Combating Crimes Committed in the Conditions of Armed Conflict, other initiatives in the field of international crime investigation, including the improvement of pre-trial investigation standards; updating strategic documents and the implementation plan for strategic documents for 2025–2026; development of digital tools; strengthening the system of protection for victims and witnesses; and enhancing the management and analytical capabilities of departments.

During the meeting, they also discussed the need to strengthen the coordination of joint actions, further exchange of information, and the development of unified approaches to documenting and investigating international crimes, particularly in the context of creating a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

The Prosecutor General's Office expresses its gratitude to international partners for their support and constructive cooperation, which contributes to the effective documentation and prosecution of individuals guilty of the most serious crimes against Ukraine and its citizens.

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More than 170 thousand war crimes: The Prosecutor General's Office outlined the scale of the Russian Federation's crimes at a meeting with international partners