🇺🇦 Ukraine — Country of Origin Information for UK asylum
Active international armed conflict since February 2022. **Martial law extended every 90 days.** Civilian casualties up 31% in 2025 (2,514 killed, 12,142 injured). Ukrainian Supreme Court (October 2025): "no right to conscientious objection in wartime". **Critical:** UK Home Office Q1 2025 — 60 refusals citing return to western regions, but no updated CPIN published.
How to use this COI at your interview
- Before the substantive interviewPrint or save 2-3 key sources (CPIN if available, HRW World Report, local NGO). Interviewers may ask — best to have them ready.
- Link source to your storyIf CPIN says "in country X, Y happens" — your job is to show Y happened to you / your family / your circle. Not just citation — connection to facts.
- Give your lawyer all sources before submissionThe solicitor / IAA adviser will draft the skeleton argument with the right citations. Your job is to provide materials and context.
- If refused — COI for the appealAppealing at First-tier Tribunal without COI is nearly impossible. SAR + new sources after refusal = key to a successful appeal.
Authoritative sources
ranked by strength in UK TribunalsUK Tribunal hierarchy: CPIN > UNHCR Eligibility > HRW World Report > Amnesty annual > Freedom House > country-specific NGO. Higher = more cited in Tribunal decisions.
CPIN Ukraine: Background, Military service, LGBT — 2023-2024 series.
- Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union · Political
- Crimea SOS — Crimean Tatars + occupied territories · Ethnic
- OHCHR HRMMU — UN Monitoring Mission Ukraine · War
- Kyiv Pride — LGBTQ+ rights · LGBTQ+
- EBCO — мониторинг отказников Украина · Military
- Free Movement — мониторинг UK asylum decisions для украинцев · Recent events
- CPJ Ukraine — убитые/задержанные журналисты · Press
Recent events
for context at interviewWhat to gather for interview
UK Tribunals assess credibility from concrete evidence. Cases from Ukraine typically need:
- Military ID or call-up notice (for draft evasion claims — especially after October 2025 Supreme Court ruling)
- Documents from occupied territories (Crimea, Donbas, new regions residents)
- For former occupation detainees: release documents + medical records of injuries (92% torture survival rate)
- Evidence of ethnic persecution (Crimean Tatars: 132 of 218 political prisoners in Crimea)
- Confirmation of opposition to Russian occupation
- For religious COs: Jehovah's Witness, Adventist membership (110+ jailed)
- For LGBT cases: 2024+ rising homophobia context, KyivPride cancellation
- Documents about family members in active combat zones
- Medical records (PTSD, depression) — 70% of country affected, 74% without treatment
- For GBV cases: +36% since 2022; for women from occupied zones — filtration camps
- UK Home Office refusal documents (if any) for Article 8/3 grounds
Tip: file a SAR request to the Home Office before submitting additional evidence — you'll see what they already hold.
Important: StartNewLife UK is a referral directory, not an immigration advice service within the meaning of the UK Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, s.84. This page is general information and navigation, not individual legal advice. All lawyers in the database are regulated by the SRA, IAA or BSB — verify their status on the public registers before instructing. For individual advice on your case, contact an SRA solicitor or IAA adviser directly.