At least 50 activists of human rights, journalists and aid workers have been killed in Ukraine in the one year of the Russian invasion, according to figures cited by the international program Front Line Defenders.

The program notes that Russia has targeted Ukrainian human rights defenders since the start of the war because of their activities in recording and broadcasting testimonies about the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine. This evidence is necessary for future trials.

According to the program, in 2022 Ukraine was the second country in line in the world in number of victims among human rights defenders and journalists, after Colombia which has 186 dead. In the previous three years, the program had not recorded such killings in Ukraine. In 2018, environmental activist Mikola Bitsko made the list when he was found hanged in the forest. According to one version, it was a staged murder that appeared to be a suicide.

Ukrainian human rights group Zmina earlier estimated that Russia had also abducted or illegally detained at least 386 activists human rights activists, journalists and volunteers. According to the organization, many of them reported being tortured while being held captive by Russian troops.

Front Line Defenders believes that 401 human rights defenders and journalists were killed in 26 countries in 2022. Almost half of them were defending the environment and indigenous rights. 17% of those murdered were women.