On 3 March 2022, Ukraine adopted a series of amendments to its Criminal Code, most notably Articles 111-1 and 111-2, which created specific criminal offences for collaboration (Article 111-1) and providing assistance to the aggressor state (Article 111-2). These provisions established a more detailed legal framework for distinguishing between various forms of cooperation with the enemy, including service in occupation administrations and law enforcement, publicly denying the occupation, and providing different types of material assistance. This legislation enriched the existing body of law on other forms of collaboration, including treason, which had been most commonly applied to alleged collaborators prior to 2022.
Despite the creation of the new collaboration provisions in 2022, no comprehensive database has yet been developed to demonstrate how these laws are being applied in practice across Ukraine’s judiciary. This document seeks to remedy this deficiency by providing policymakers, researchers, legal practitioners and others with an accessible record of collaboration prosecutions in Ukraine. By presenting the types and nature of cases adjudicated under Article 111-1 and related provisions, it enables these interested parties to understand which legal provisions are most frequently relied upon, how the law is being applied in practice, and the manner in which such cases are prosecuted and decided upon across different regions of Ukraine. This should serve to inform positive next steps and support further analysis to promote greater coherence and fairness in the prosecution of collaboration cases.
Global Rights Compliance, the organisation that conducted this research supported by the European Union: Service for Foreign Policy Instruments, will rely on these cases in developing a draft national strategy for the prosecution of collaborators in Ukraine, standard operating procedures for the investigation of collaboration allegations, and a practical guide for interviewing witnesses and suspects in collaboration cases. Each of these documents will be released in the forthcoming months and will serve as a departure point for further engagement with Ukrainian government stakeholders.
Methodology and Presentation of the Cases
The dataset contains two types of tables. The first presents a list of individual cases organised by Ukrainian oblast. The total number of cases varies from region to region, with the highest concentration of cases located near the frontline or in territories temporarily occupied by Russian forces. Each case record includes the date of the court’s decision, the case number, the name of the court, information on whether the proceedings followed a simplified procedure, whether the accused was present for trial or the verdict was delivered in absentia, the article of the law applied, a brief description of the relevant facts, and the resulting verdict and sentence.
The data shows that the most commonly prosecuted offences as of 29 September 2025 was under Article 111-1 (collaboration activities) (3131 judgements), Article 111 (high treason) (1880 judgements), Article 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, or glorification of its participants) (1528 judgements), Article 111-2 (assistance to the aggressor state), (724 judgements) Article 114-2 (unauthorised dissemination of information regarding the direction, movement of weapons, armaments, and military ammunition into Ukraine [ …]) (724 judgements).
The second type of table presents statistical information for each region. It contains the total number of cases prosecuted under each Article and Part of the Criminal Code relating to collaboration, the number of cases reviewed under each article, the number of decisions delivered in the presence of the accused and in absentia, the number of decisions delivered through the simplified procedure, and average term of imprisonment. If a line in the table includes two or more articles, the case involves the prosecution under two or more provisions of the criminal code. The table is quantitative in nature and does not include descriptive case content.
The table presents 2,186 cases across all regions of Ukraine. This sample was designed to be representative of the 7,987 cases identified nationwide. At least 5 cases (where available) were reviewed under each Part of Article 111-1 in every region, with the content focusing on decisions rendered by courts of first instance.
A representative sample of the most commonly prosecuted offences in Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv and Zaporizhiahia regions were the following:
Kharkiv region
- 178 judgements: Voluntary occupation of the non-menegarial position (Article 111-1 (Part 2))
- 131 judgements: Public denial of armed aggression (Article 111-1 (Part 1))
Kherson region
- 94 judgements: Occupying position involving the performance of organisational-administrative or administrative-economic functions and organisation of illicit referendum (Article 111-1 (Part 5))
- 52 judgements: Occupying a position in law enforcement / judicial bodies of aggressor state / participation in the armed formation / providing assistance to such formations (Article 111-1 (Part 7))
Kyiv city
- 70 judgements: Transfer of material resources and economic activity (Article 111-1 (Part 4))
- 43 judgements: Occupying position involving the performance of organisational-administrative or administrative-economic functions and organisation of illicit referendum (Article 111-1 (Part 5))
Zaporizhzhia region
- 184 judgements: Occupying a position in law enforcement / judicial bodies of aggressor state / participation in the armed formation / providing assistance to such formations (Article 111-1 (Part 7))
- 154 judgements: Occupying position involving the performance of organisational-administrative or administrative-economic functions and organisation of illicit referendum (Article 111-1 (Part 5))
The focus of the case review was Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. However, to provide a more complete understanding of other activities related to the crime of collaboration and their interrelation with Article 111-1, Article 111 (high treason), Article 111-2 (assistance to the aggressor state), Article 114-2 (unauthorised dissemination of information regarding the direction, movement of weapons, armaments, and military ammunition into Ukraine […]), and Article 436-2 (justification, recognition as lawful, denial of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, or glorification of its participants) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine were also tabulated.
Scott Martin, International Legal Advisor at Global Rights Compliance, notes that “conducting this research provided an opportunity to gain a comprehensive perspective on how Ukraine’s courts are interpreting and applying the law on collaboration. By systematically reviewing thousands of prosecutions, we were able to identify not only the diversity of cases and regional differences in practice, but also the emerging patterns and challenges that will inform future legal and policy reform. This work represents an important step toward ensuring that accountability for collaboration is pursued in a manner that is consistent, evidence-based, and compliant with Ukraine’s international obligations”.
You can find the dataset on collaboration prosecutions here
Kindly refer questions or comments concerning this table to Scott.Martin@grcompliance.org.