Olga Golovina

Editorial Coordinator

Olga Golovina is editorial coordinator of IWPR’s Ukraine Justice Report. With more than 20 years experience working as a journalist and editor in Ukrainian print and TV, she has covered a wide range of stories across Europe, Russia and the Caucasus.

Stories by the Author

Family members attend the funeral of brother and sister Oleksandr and Iryna Hodak at a cemetery on October 09, 2023 in Hroza, Ukraine. On October 5 a Russian missile strike killed 52 people in a village near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk. Officials say one-fifth of the village died in the attack on civilians gathering at a wake in a cafe and shop.

Family members attend the funeral of brother and sister Oleksandr and Iryna Hodak at a cemetery on October 09, 2023 in Hroza, Ukraine. On October 5 a Russian missile strike killed 52 people in a village near the eastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk. Officials say one-fifth of the village died in the attack on civilians gathering at a wake in a cafe and shop. © Diego Fedele/Getty Images

“Success is the Establishment of Trust”

Kyiv-based centre coordinating assistance for victims and witnesses helps them navigate legal complexities, social rehabilitation and intense trauma.

27 Feb 24

Ukraine's Chernihiv District Court in session.

Ukraine's Chernihiv District Court in session. © Irina Domashchenko

The Challenge of In Absentia Trials

Procedures must be impeccably transparent, given international concerns about national courts’ impartiality during an armed conflict.

20 Feb 24

A war crimes prosecutor views the body of a Ukrainian civilian during a search for evidence of war crimes in an underground air raid shelter that was believed to be used as a prison by Russian occupying forces, on October 15, 2022 in Kupiansk, Kharkiv oblast, Ukraine.

A war crimes prosecutor views the body of a Ukrainian civilian during a search for evidence of war crimes in an underground air raid shelter that was believed to be used as a prison by Russian occupying forces, on October 15, 2022 in Kupiansk, Kharkiv oblast, Ukraine. © Carl Court/Getty Images

Artificial Intelligence and War Crimes Investigations

Innovative technology could be of huge benefit given unprecedented amount of data documenting alleged violations.

30 Jan 24

The Ukrainian Ministry of Justice building in Kiev, Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Justice building in Kiev, Ukraine. © Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Ukraine: Calls for Changes to Criminal Code

Current body of law cannot cope with the scope or scale of offences being committed.

23 Jan 24

Yaroslav, 6, who has lost his ability to speak, leaves for home after school on December 14, 2023 in Vysokopillya, Ukraine.

Yaroslav, 6, who has lost his ability to speak, leaves for home after school on December 14, 2023 in Vysokopillya, Ukraine. © Gaelle Girbes/Getty Images

A Long Way Home; Ukraine’s Child Deportees

Those investigating potential war crimes must gather evidence while reducing trauma for vulnerable minors.

9 Jan 24

Forensic police exhume bodies from unidentified makeshift graves at the Pishanske cemetery on September 23, 2022 in Izium, Ukraine. A total of 447 bodies was exhumed from the gravesite, including 22 soldiers and 5 children, and the bodies will be examined for possible war crimes.

Forensic police exhume bodies from unidentified makeshift graves at the Pishanske cemetery on September 23, 2022 in Izium, Ukraine. A total of 447 bodies was exhumed from the gravesite, including 22 soldiers and 5 children, and the bodies will be examined for possible war crimes. © Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

Key Challenges in Prosecuting War Crimes

International advisor highlights need to appoint more judges and advance legal reforms to expedite judicial processes.

19 Dec 23

A woman holds her dog while being evacuated from her home due to Russian invasion on March 06, 2023 in Kupiansk, Ukraine.

A woman holds her dog while being evacuated from her home due to Russian invasion on March 06, 2023 in Kupiansk, Ukraine. © John Moore/Getty Images

A Victim-Centred Approach to Prosecuting Sexual Violence

Ukraine is implementing dedicated policies including safeguarding and psychological assistance.

12 Dec 23

Police record human remains as forensic experts and war crimes prosecution teams exhume a burial site containing the bodies of six civilians that were executed by Russian forces in the yard of a house in the town of Pravdyne on the outskirts of Kherson on November 28, 2022 in Kherson, Ukraine.

Police record human remains as forensic experts and war crimes prosecution teams exhume a burial site containing the bodies of six civilians that were executed by Russian forces in the yard of a house in the town of Pravdyne on the outskirts of Kherson on November 28, 2022 in Kherson, Ukraine. © Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Torture, Sexual Violence, Murder: Investigating War Crimes in Kherson

One year after its de-occupation, investigators continue to record thousands of war crime cases amid continuous shelling.

14 Nov 23

A local resident helps police, forensic experts and war crimes prosecution teams to exhume a burial site containing the bodies of six civilians that were executed by Russian forces in the yard of a house in the town of Pravdyne on the outskirts of Kherson on November 28, 2022 in Kherson, Ukraine.

A local resident helps police, forensic experts and war crimes prosecution teams to exhume a burial site containing the bodies of six civilians that were executed by Russian forces in the yard of a house in the town of Pravdyne on the outskirts of Kherson on November 28, 2022 in Kherson, Ukraine. © Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Tracking Down Truth in Ukraine

NGO has identified over 200 alleged criminals since 2014 as part of efforts to monitor, document and investigate IHL violations.

7 Nov 23

Tanks move in formation near the border with Gaza on October 14, 2023 near Sderot, Israel.

Tanks move in formation near the border with Gaza on October 14, 2023 near Sderot, Israel. © Amir Levy/Getty Images

Ukraine Frets Over Media’s New Focus on Middle East

“It will be harder to fight for attention; and without attention, there will be no weapons.”

1 Nov 23

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