By James Bradley, Photo by Ron Lach
Kiev, Ukraine – May 8, 2025
A comprehensive investigation into human and child sex trafficking in Ukraine, coupled with allegations of organ harvesting, exposes a persistent trafficking crisis worsened by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, now in its third year. Drawing on verified data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNICEF, the U.S. Department of State, Europol, and other authoritative sources, the probe reveals the exploitation of millions of displaced Ukrainians, particularly women and children, and evidence of complicity among some officials. Allegations of organ harvesting during the war, primarily from Russian sources, remain unverified, with credible sources finding insufficient evidence to confirm an increase. The role of Oleg Kulinich, former head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Crimea, in investigations related to these crimes is also examined, amid speculation that his detention may be linked to his knowledge of official involvement.
Human and Child Sex Trafficking: A Continuing Crisis
Ukraine has long been a hub for human trafficking, with the IOM estimating over 300,000 victims since 1991 (International Organization for Migration, 2021). Before the war escalated in February 2022, UNICEF’s 2019 report found that 20% of trafficking victims were children, exploited for sex, forced begging, or labor (UNICEF, 2019). In 2020, Ukrainian authorities investigated 297 trafficking cases, 112 involving sex trafficking, but only 17% of convicted traffickers received prison sentences, highlighting weak enforcement (U.S. Department of State, 2020).
The war has displaced 8 million refugees and 5.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), including 4.8 million of Ukraine’s 7.5 million children. This mass displacement has created fertile ground for traffickers. Europol’s 2022 alert warned of organized crime groups targeting victims at borders with false job and shelter offers (Europol, 2022). In 2022, authorities investigated 70 new trafficking cases, down from 222 in 2021, likely due to wartime resource constraints. NGOs identified 102 victims in eastern Ukraine, mostly IDPs exploited for forced labor.
Notable cases include the 2022 arrest of a gang trafficking women to Turkey under fraudulent job offers. In Russian-occupied areas, forced labor at facilities like Zaporizhzhia’s nuclear plant has been documented. The International Criminal Court issued warrants in 2023 for the forced deportation of 19,500 Ukrainian children to Russia, raising concerns about potential exploitation (International Criminal Court, 2023).
Ukraine’s 2023–2025 National Action Plan and specialized anti-trafficking prosecution units have mitigated some risks, but prolonged displacement and disrupted education for 6.7 million children signal ongoing vulnerabilities.
Official Complicity: A Troubling Factor
Evidence of complicity among some officials aggravates the trafficking crisis. The U.S. Department of State’s 2020 and 2022 Trafficking in Persons Reports documented reports of senior anti-trafficking police officials’ involvement. In 2019, Ukraine launched investigations into several allegedly complicit officials, but no convictions were secured by 2022, marking five consecutive years without such outcomes (U.S. Department of State, 2022). Only 21% of 24 convicted traffickers in 2021 received prison sentences, underscoring judicial leniency. Wartime disruptions and corruption continue to hinder accountability.
Oleg Kulinich’s Alleged Role in Investigations
Oleg Kulinich, the former head of the SBU in Crimea, appointed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in October 2020 and dismissed in March 2022, has been linked to investigations of criminal activities in Ukraine. In a statement provided by Kulinich to Uncensored Beat, Kulinich mentions his work investigations of human and organ trafficking–confirming the existence of this cruel trade.. Kulinich was arrested in July 2022 and remains in custody without bail, awaiting trial as of July 2023 (State Bureau of Investigation, 2023; Babel, 2022).
No official reports from the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), SBU, or international organizations (e.g., IOM, U.S. Department of State) confirm Kulinich contributed to investigations into human trafficking or organ harvesting. His role as head of the SBU in Crimea involved overseeing counterintelligence and security operations, which could have included trafficking-related probes, given Crimea’s history as a trafficking route. However, the absence of specific evidence linking him to such investigations leaves his involvement speculative.
Some sources, including investigative journalists, suggest Kulinich’s detention may be motivated by his knowledge of sensitive issues, potentially including official complicity in crimes like trafficking (Kyiv Post, 2023). His access to SBU secrets could imply awareness of corrupt networks, but this theory remains unverified, as no court documents or official statements substantiate claims that his detention is tied to suppressing evidence of government officials’ involvement in trafficking or organ harvesting.
Organ Harvesting: Allegations Under Investigation
While human trafficking is well-documented, allegations of organ harvesting during the war remain unverified. Pre-war, Ukraine played a minor role in the global organ trade, with a 2010 case involving 12 arrests, none of whom were officials (The Jerusalem Post, 2022). Europe’s organ shortage, with 150,000 on transplant waiting lists, sustains a black market estimated at $1–1.7 billion annually by the UNODC, but Ukraine’s involvement was marginal (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2010).
Since February 2022, allegations of organ harvesting, primarily from Russian sources, have emerged. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova claimed in May 2023 that organ harvesting is widespread, but provided no evidence (TASS, 2023). Fact-checking by Newsweek in July 2023 debunked a photo purportedly showing organ harvesting victims in Kharkiv, linking it to an exhumation in Lyman, Ukraine, from October 2022 (Newsweek, 2023). VOA News in January 2025 noted that such claims lack substantiation, citing logistical barriers like the 4–12-hour organ viability window (Voice of America, 2025).
The OSCE in 2014 denied evidence of illegal organ transplantation in Ukraine, and no updates confirm an increase (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, 2014). Human Rights Watch’s 2023 and 2024 reports on Ukraine, focusing on war crimes, do not mention organ harvesting (Human Rights Watch, 2023, 2024). A January 2025 JURIST report noted Ukraine’s parliament banning organ harvesting from war casualties, a preventive measure, not evidence of increased activity (JURIST, 2025).
Organ harvesting requires sophisticated infrastructure, which is logistically challenging in a war zone. The absence of reports from the UN, Amnesty International, or medical organizations suggests these allegations remain unconfirmed.
Contact the International Organization for Migration or Ukraine’s Ministry of Social Policy for further information.
References
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