Lawyer Mari Davtyan, who works with the Center for the Protection of Domestic Violence Survivors at the Consortium of Women’s NGOs, said the data Russia submitted to the UN understates the scale of the problem. According to the official figures, 963 women died in Russia last year, including 530 killed by partners. Based on court verdicts analyzed by the center, at least 3,463 women were killed in 2022 and 2023 alone; 2,284 of those cases occurred in situations of domestic violence, and 2,123 women were killed by partners.
Davtyan said the discrepancy stems from the fact that state statistics rely on investigative records, while rights advocates study verdicts and count violence committed not only by official spouses, but also by cohabitants and boyfriends. In her view, one year of data is not enough to judge trends, but it is clear that street killings have declined while the state has done nothing systematic to address domestic violence.
She also described a rise in appeals from women whose husbands or partners are connected to the war. Most often, they report beatings, stalking, and the inability to leave safely. Davtyan said that after changes to criminal legislation in 2022–2024, men returning from the front effectively received criminal immunity: proceedings can be suspended, and if they receive decorations, cases may be terminated altogether.
“At the very first serious conflict, a woman should contact a crisis center — that is what saves lives,” Davtyan said.
Among her recommendations were keeping contact details for nearby crisis centers, being ready to leave a dangerous place quickly, and calling the police even if their response is uncertain. Davtyan stressed that responsibility for violence always lies with the aggressor, and that there are no universal rules that can guarantee safety.
Despite pressure on civil society, the lawyer said the work still produces tangible results. She cited a Constitutional Court victory in private prosecution cases over repeated beatings, a Supreme Court ruling in the case of journalist Yekaterina Fedorova affirming women’s right to speak publicly about abuse, and progress in the Khachaturyan sisters case. According to Davtyan, in 2024 the center held 1,250 consultations, handled 116 cases, and helped more than 1,400 people in total.