In the shadow of ongoing conflict and occupation, the Kharkiv region and Crimea have become focal points in the latest escalation of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Two recent reports, one from Censor.NET and another from Krym.Realii, paint a stark picture of civilian suffering, alleged war crimes, and the expansion of detention infrastructure in territories under Russian control. These developments, published on September 22, 2025, underscore the mounting humanitarian and legal concerns arising from the conflict.
Early this September, a harrowing incident unfolded in Kupiansk, a town in the Kharkiv region. According to the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office, Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups opened fire on a 74-year-old local resident as he rode his bicycle. The man, whose name has not been released for his protection, became an unwitting casualty of the violence that has plagued the area since the onset of the Russian invasion.
"I heard bursts of automatic gunfire," the man recounted to investigators, describing how a Kalashnikov bullet struck his leg. In a desperate bid for survival, he fell from his bicycle and crawled into nearby reeds, remaining hidden and alone through the night. It was only the following day that Ukrainian soldiers discovered him and evacuated him to Kharkiv, where doctors successfully removed the bullet from his leg. The prosecutor's office has launched a pre-trial investigation under Article 438, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which addresses war crimes. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have pledged to hold those responsible to account.
This incident is not isolated. It reflects a broader pattern of violence and intimidation directed at civilians in areas contested or occupied by Russian forces. Human rights groups have consistently raised alarms about the targeting of non-combatants, forced displacement, and the use of terror tactics to subdue local populations. As the war grinds on, stories like that of the Kupiansk resident serve as grim reminders of the personal toll exacted by conflict.
Meanwhile, in Crimea—annexed by Russia in 2014 and a flashpoint ever since—Russian authorities are moving forward with plans to expand the network of detention centers. According to Krym.Realii and statements from Olga Skrypnyk, head of the Crimean Human Rights Group, the Russian government’s program "Development of the Criminal Executive System" aims to construct a new pre-trial detention center and increase capacity at existing facilities by roughly 2,000 new places. This expansion comes amid longstanding concerns about the treatment of detainees and the use of detention as a tool of political repression.
Skrypnyk explained, "We see a decision not only to expand and re-equip the existing pre-trial detention centers, but also to build a new one—a rather large one." She noted that, until 2014, Crimea had just one pre-trial detention center, located in Simferopol. In 2015, after Russia’s annexation, construction began on two additional facilities, which opened in 2022. These centers now house not just Crimean residents but also individuals from newly occupied territories.
What sets these detention centers apart, according to human rights advocates, is their management. Skrypnyk emphasized that pre-trial detention centers No. 2 and No. 8 are effectively run by the FSB, Russia’s federal security service, rather than the Federal Penitentiary Service. "These are detention centers that the special service needs to extract confessions from people," she said. The implication is clear: these facilities serve not just as holding cells, but as instruments of coercion, where confessions are allegedly extracted under duress.
The expansion does not stop at new buildings. The Representative Office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea has confirmed that Russia intends to build an additional pre-trial detention center for 366 people, as well as a new facility for 1,500 people in two stages. There are also plans to reconstruct an existing colony, adding 20 cell blocks, and to purchase 85 units of production equipment for use by prisoners in forced labor. This industrialization of incarceration raises additional concerns about the exploitation of detainees and the use of forced labor as a means of punishment and control.
The roots of these practices run deep. Since 2014, reports of torture, abduction, and denial of medical care have been commonplace in occupied Crimea. Both political prisoners and pro-Ukrainian residents have been targeted, often held in basements or colonies without access to legal representation or adequate healthcare. Human rights organizations argue that impunity and a lack of robust international response have allowed these abuses to proliferate, spreading to other occupied territories where methods have reportedly grown even more brutal.
According to Krym.Realii, the expansion of detention centers is not simply a matter of logistics or criminal justice. It is a calculated effort to suppress resistance and intimidate those who oppose Russian rule. The use of torture and forced confessions is intended to break the will of detainees and send a chilling message to others who might dare to dissent. The international community has repeatedly condemned these practices, but concrete action has been slow and often insufficient to deter further abuses.
In the broader context, these developments highlight the complex and evolving nature of Russia’s occupation policies in Ukraine. The construction of new prisons and the intensification of repression in Crimea are part of a wider strategy to consolidate control over contested territories. For residents of places like Kupiansk and Crimea, the consequences are immediate and personal—ranging from the threat of physical violence to the risk of arbitrary detention and torture.
For Ukraine, documenting and prosecuting these alleged war crimes is a matter of both justice and national survival. The ongoing investigation into the shooting of the 74-year-old man in Kupiansk is just one example of the many cases that Ukrainian authorities hope will one day be adjudicated in domestic or international courts. Yet, as the conflict drags on, the sheer volume of cases and the challenges of gathering evidence in occupied areas complicate these efforts.
Internationally, the response has been a mix of condemnation and calls for accountability. Human rights organizations continue to document abuses and advocate for sanctions and legal action against those responsible. However, the persistence of such practices in Crimea and other occupied regions suggests that more robust measures may be needed to protect civilians and uphold the rule of law.
As autumn sets in across Ukraine, the stories emerging from Kharkiv and Crimea serve as sobering reminders of the human cost of war and occupation. Whether in the reeds outside Kupiansk or behind the walls of a Crimean detention center, ordinary people continue to bear the brunt of a conflict that shows little sign of abating.
While the world watches and waits, the fate of Ukraine’s civilians hangs in the balance—caught between the violence of the battlefield and the expanding machinery of repression in the occupied territories.