Armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine started in 2014 after Russia invaded Crimea in southern Ukraine and, later that year, the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The conflict escalated in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion from Russian and Belarusian territory into northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine, resulting in mass displacement within Ukraine and abroad, mostly to the EU.
As at August 2023, the conflict had displaced more than 1.2 million Ukrainians into Russia since February 2022. Despite the large number of people affected, information on needs remains extremely limited and difficult to verify. The primary source of information is individuals who have left Russia and returned to Ukraine. Their experiences suggest that priority needs include cash assistance and documentation, particularly for those forcibly displaced to the far east of Russia who cannot afford to leave, putting them at risk of labour exploitation if displacement is protracted. Ukrainians forcefully displaced into Russia may also require urgent protection and medical assistance, particularly if unlawfully detained.
6,000 children brought to Russia from Ukrainian territory without their parents or legal guardians have been identified, but the actual number is likely much higher.
(Atlantic Council 14/02/2023, UNHCR accessed 14/08/2023, HRW 01/09/2023, AP 13/07/2023, Yale School of Public Health 14/02/2023)
Armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine started in 2014 after Russia invaded Crimea in southern Ukraine and, later that year, the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The conflict escalated in February 2022 when Russia launched a full-scale invasion from Russian and Belarusian territory into northern, eastern, and southern Ukraine, resulting in mass displacement within Ukraine and abroad, mostly to the EU.
As at August 2023, the conflict had displaced more than 1.2 million Ukrainians into Russia since February 2022. Despite the large number of people affected, information on needs remains extremely limited and difficult to verify. The primary source of information is individuals who have left Russia and returned to Ukraine. Their experiences suggest that priority needs include cash assistance and documentation, particularly for those forcibly displaced to the far east of Russia who cannot afford to leave, putting them at risk of labour exploitation if displacement is protracted. Ukrainians forcefully displaced into Russia may also require urgent protection and medical assistance, particularly if unlawfully detained.
6,000 children brought to Russia from Ukrainian territory without their parents or legal guardians have been identified, but the actual number is likely much higher.
(Atlantic Council 14/02/2023, UNHCR accessed 14/08/2023, HRW 01/09/2023, AP 13/07/2023, Yale School of Public Health 14/02/2023)
