Press Conference: Addressing the Challenges of De-Occupied Territories in Ukraine

On May 28, a press conference brought together experts from various fields to highlight critical issues faced by Ukraine’s de-occupied territories. Titled “Main Challenges of De-Occupied Territories: Civilian Hostages, Investigation of War Crimes, Destroyed Housing and Infrastructure,” the event delved into the profound human and infrastructural toll of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.

Over two years of hostilities have devastated 20% of Ukraine’s territory. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been taken hostage or forcibly deported, their homes looted or destroyed, and lands rendered dangerous by landmines. Despite the immense challenges, Ukraine is resolutely fighting for victory and the safe return of its people.
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Khrystyna Shkudor, Advocacy Manager of the Where Are Our People? project, underscored the gravity of civilian deportations, stating:

“Deportees are civilian hostages because deportation is the forced relocation against a person's will. In the temporarily occupied territories and inside Russia, there are no human rights. The return of deported children, adults, and civilian hostages is only possible after we win the war. The sooner our Western partners provide weapons, the sooner we can bring our people back.”

Maria Mezentseva, Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the PACE, added:

“Missing civilians pose one of our toughest challenges. Unlike military personnel, locating civilians in occupied territories or Russia is nearly impossible due to the lack of information.”

Oleksandra Romantsova, Executive Director of the Center for Civil Liberties, emphasized:

“Russia’s treatment of civilian captives defies any parallels in international humanitarian law. Over 60,000 Ukrainian civilians are in captivity, while Ukraine has no Russian civilians to exchange for them.”

The main goal of the event was to draw the public's attention to the challenges and problems faced by citizens of Ukraine in the occupied and de-occupied territories, to contribute to highlighting the facts of human rights violations and war crimes committed by the Russian Federation; to inform the public about the methods and international mechanisms used by Ukraine to overcome problems in the (de)occupied territories.


Watch the full Press Conference here