‘Rapists and murderers’ in Russian army rampage while home from front

Russian soldiers at home have been killing, maiming, raping and looting at record rates since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The number of murders also appears to be increasing year-on-year. In 2025, the total sum was one-and-a-half times more than in 2024 and 16 times more than in the first year of the full-scale war.

Sexual violence committed by soldiers also climbed sharply. Between 2022 and 2025, courts reviewed 549 cases of rape and other forms of sexual assault. At least 312 involved minors and almost 250 involved young children under the age of 14. 2025 alone saw 248 cases, making it a record year.

Cases of robbery and looting, too, have seen distinct increases. 659 cases of robbery and armed robbery involving servicemen were filed from 2022 to the end of 2025. The real figure is likely to be many times higher, since looting in conflict zones and border regions rarely result in court cases or prosecutions.

The authors of the report caution that the real figures are likely to be far higher than the available data shows. Court records do not account for cases still being investigated and former soldiers are not included in the data ... There is also almost no data available from the occupied territories of Ukraine, where Russian soldiers are likely to feel an even greater sense of impunity in pillaging and committing violent and sexual crimes.