COMBATING HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RUSSIAN-UKRAINIAN WAR: THE CASE OF KHARKIV – CURRENT SITUATION, TRENDS, AND PROSPECTS

Abstract

This article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the current state, trends, and prospects for combating human trafficking in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, using the city of Kharkiv and the Kharkiv region as examples. It analyzes international and domestic scholarly approaches to understanding human trafficking as one of the most dangerous forms of transnational organized crime and modern slavery. The article summarizes the results of a scientometric analysis of foreign studies, as well as statistical data from international organizations, the National Social Service of Ukraine, and law enforcement agencies regarding the scale, forms, and trends in the spread of this criminal phenomenon. Particular attention is paid to the impact of martial law, mass population displacement, labor migration, economic instability, and the social vulnerability of citizens on the increased risk of people falling into situations of exploitation. This study examined trends in the granting of victim status to individuals affected by human trafficking in Ukraine from 2022 to 2026, revealing changes in the gender profile of victims, the prevalence of mixed forms of exploitation, the use of people in armed conflicts, labor exploitation, and the illegal smuggling of persons across the state border. Based on an analysis of the activities of the Migration Police Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Kharkiv region, the study describes the results of documenting criminal offenses and identifies problematic issues related to combating illegal migration, the sexual exploitation of children online, organized criminal groups, and the high rate of underreporting of these crimes. The paper justifies the need to strengthen interagency coordination, international cooperation, and the improvement of operational and investigative support, preventive measures, and victim protection mechanisms. Emphasis is placed on the fact that effective counteraction to human trafficking in today’s conditions must combine criminal law, criminological, organizational, social, and spiritual-value-based approaches aimed at ensuring an adequate level of human safety, protecting human rights and freedoms, and strengthening Ukraine’s national security.