The UN General Assembly adopted an updated resolution on 18 December condemning Russia's systematic human rights violations in occupied Ukrainian territories, with 79 countries voting in favor. The resolution strengthens international monitoring of torture against Ukrainian prisoners while keeping Russia on the UN's "list of shame" for killing and maiming children.
The vote comes as Russia faces mounting evidence of organized brutality in detention facilities—and as the UN Secretary-General has warned Moscow could be added to a second blacklist for systematic sexual violence. Ukraine initiated this resolution, which has passed annually since 2016, but this year's version contains the strongest language yet on prisoner treatment.
Key points from the UN resolution on occupied Ukraine
- 79 countries voted in favor, 16 against, 73 abstained
- First explicit condemnation of torture against Ukrainian POWs in annual resolution
- Demands Russia provide immediate access for ICRC to detention facilities
- Requires disclosure of fate and whereabouts of abducted Ukrainians
- Keeps Russia on UN "list of shame" for third consecutive year
- Issues "final warning" on potential sexual violence blacklist
What the resolution demands
The General Assembly's document covers all Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories and reaffirms Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity while explicitly rejecting any attempts to change the status of Ukrainian lands.
For the first time, the resolution directly condemns torture, inhuman treatment, and gross human rights violations against Ukrainian POWs and illegally detained civilians, according to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry. It demands Russia immediately cease aggression and withdraw all armed forces from Ukrainian territory.
The resolution is based on findings from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Russian crimes, which has documented enforced disappearances and torture both in occupied territories and inside Russia itself.
The General Assembly separately condemned Russia's systematic refusal to provide information about the fate of abducted or captured Ukrainians—and demanded immediate disclosure of this data.
The prisoner crisis
The resolution calls on Russia to ensure unhindered access for international mechanisms, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross, to detention facilities holding Ukrainian POWs and civilians.
This demand carries weight: UN monitors have confirmed that Ukraine provides full, unrestricted access to Russian prisoners in Ukrainian facilities, while Russia has categorically blocked international observers from its detention centers. Returning Ukrainian prisoners consistently report systematic torture, with up to 90% describing abuse in Russian captivity.
The Assembly also called for Russia to release all illegally detained persons, including Crimean Tatars, civilians, political prisoners, and journalists.
Russia's place on the "list of shame"
The resolution recalls that the UN Secretary-General has issued a "final warning" regarding Russia's potential inclusion on the list of entities committing conflict-related sexual violence—a step that would carry significant diplomatic and operational consequences.
Russia already appears on a separate UN "list of shame" for the third consecutive year as a "malicious offender" for killing and maiming Ukrainian children and attacking schools and hospitals. In 2024, the UN verified a 105% increase in grave violations against children in Ukraine compared to the previous year.
Countries on this list are barred from participating in UN peacekeeping operations until removed.
The vote breakdown
The resolution passed with 79 countries in favor, 16 against, and 73 abstaining. Those voting against included Russia, Belarus, China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, and several African nations including Burkina Faso, Mali, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha welcomed the adoption, emphasizing Ukraine has initiated this resolution annually since 2016.
"The principled position of the General Assembly and the international community is an important step towards restoring respect for international law, ensuring the Russian Federation's responsibility for the crimes committed, and creating conditions for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine based on the principles of the UN Charter," the Foreign Ministry stated.
The document serves as a tool for continued UN monitoring and reporting on human rights in occupied territories, contributing to the documentation and investigation of Russian crimes.
