As conditions worsen in Ukraine, refugees struggle to return

This article is published in association with United Nations.

As Ukraine prepares to enter the fifth year of the full-scale Russian invasion on 24 February, UN monitors say harm to civilians has “demonstrably worsened”, while energy attacks and freezing temperatures are making it harder for displaced families to return.

“More people are killed and injured each year. Millions have only a few hours of electricity per day. Hundreds of thousands are suffering without heating in freezing temperatures,” said Danielle Bell, Head of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU).

In 2025, the total number of civilian casualties was 31 per cent higher than in 2024 and 70 per cent higher than in 2023, with over 15,000 civilians killed since the conflict began.

Early 2026 has signalled a continuation of this trend, according to the latest report by the HRMMU.

Torture, executions and sexual violence

“Serious violations of international humanitarian law continue to be committed with impunity, particularly by Russian authorities,” it said.

Violations include widespread and systematic use of torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian detainees, as well as sexual violence and executions. The report also documented a rise in executions of captured Ukrainian soldiers in November and December 2025.

“We have seen virtually no efforts to prevent such violations or hold perpetrators to account,” Ms. Bell emphasised, “Victims must have a right to a remedy: access to justice, reparation for the harm they have suffered, and to learn the truth in regard to these violations.”

Energy strikes add to displacement crisis

Ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure continue to strain living conditions for millions fighting -20°C temperatures and displacement.

Whilst 4.4 million refugees have returned from displacement since the start of the war – advances have been disrupted in recent winter months with 3.7 million people continuing to be displaced in Ukraine, according to the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Similarly, as living conditions depreciate following Russian strikes on energy facilities, nearly 400,000 refugees who have come back to Ukraine from abroad remain internally displaced within the country.

According to the IOM report, unmet needs exceeded 90 per cent in some frontline regions and over 300,000 returnees considered leaving their current location in the next three months.

“After four years of war, resilience alone cannot sustain families through yet another winter of blackouts and freezing temperatures,” said IOM Director-General Amy Pope.

Compromising ‘hard-won’ returns

Without adequate assistance, continued energy disruptions risk triggering further displacement and “undermining hard-won returns”, Ms Pope said.

Since 2022, IOM has delivered a large-scale, nationwide response to the Ukraine crisis, supporting up to 6.9 million people inside the country, directly and indirectly, as well as millions more across 11 neighbouring countries.

To prevent further displacement, IOM urges the international community to scale up winterization, housing repairs, livelihoods support, and integrated mental health and psychosocial services, particularly in frontline and high-return areas.