The Prosecutor General's Office records an unprecedented rise in cruelty to animals.

In the first five months of 2025, the number of criminal proceedings for animal cruelty in Ukraine is increasing at a furious pace. The General Prosecutor's Office recorded as many as 386 cases, which is almost four times higher than last year's figures. Of this number, 80% have already received suspicions. However, only 4% of all proceedings have reached the court. This data was published by

The Kyiv Post

Spike in cases: from 21 to over 200 per month

A lawyer-analyst of the UAnimals organization, Anastasia Hevchuk, explained that the increase in the number of cases does not mean greater cruelty, but rather indicates that people have become more likely to report violations of the law through available legal means and support from public organizations.

The number of 386 cases has already broken the annual record of 220 cases recorded in 2020. This is an increase of almost four times compared to last year's figures. The growth was most noticeable in April, when 213 new proceedings were initiated. In May, the figure decreased to 110, but it still remains quite high.

While the effectiveness of investigations has also improved - in 80% of cases, suspicions were issued, due to the increase in the number of cases, only 4% actually reached the court, compared to the previous 13-15%.

Initiatives to improve the situation

• Launching chatbots to report violations.
• Publication of draft conclusions.
• Conducting trainings for law enforcement by UAnimals.

In February 2025, a training session for law enforcement was held, which helped improve their understanding and effectiveness in investigating such cases.

According to the search engine for the court register 'Babushka', this year 20 verdicts have already been issued for cases of cruelty to animals. There are cases of actual imprisonments, as well as fines and conditional sentences. A positive aspect is that the Kyiv Zoo is providing support during the war, where over 60,000 people have received rehabilitation through animal therapy.

The Ukrainian General Prosecutor's Office recorded a record number of criminal proceedings for animal cruelty in the first five months of 2025. This indicates a growing awareness among the population and an increased interest in combating these legislative violations.