Women and Illicit Finance in Russia’s Occupation of Ukraine

October 2025

Research paper 37

Dr Orly Stern

Olivia Allison (University of Exeter)

SOC ACE project: Illicit finance and Russian foreign policy: new dynamics and linkages

PUBLICATION SUMMARY

This research explores the gendered dimensions of Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territories, focusing on how women are involved in and affected by the illicit financial flows (IFF) that sustain the occupation economy. While traditional analyses emphasize military and elite male actors, this study highlights the critical yet often overlooked roles women play - as both participants in occupation structures and victims of systemic harm.

Women are widely represented in mid- and lower-level roles within the occupation regime, including administrative, judicial, and civil service positions. Though rarely in senior leadership, they help implement policies that enable property seizures, business expropriations, and corrupt reconstruction schemes. Their presence reflects broader gender norms in Russia and Ukraine, where women dominate civil service and court systems but are underrepresented in top decision-making roles.

Some women’s involvement is linked to relationships with powerful men. Wives of Russian or pro-Russian elites are sometimes granted ownership stakes or managerial roles, acting as proxies to help male relatives evade sanctions. Others benefit from lifestyles funded by expropriated assets and corruption.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian women have been significantly impacted. Many remain in occupied territories - more than men - due to lower risks of conscription or detention and caregiving responsibilities. This increased presence heightens their exposure to occupation authorities, sometimes resulting in coerced collaboration under threat of violence or persecution.

Despite these coercive circumstances, Ukrainian authorities have prosecuted many women for collaboration, often without fully considering the pressures they faced. The study calls for a more nuanced understanding of women’s roles - not only as enablers or beneficiaries of occupation policies but also as individuals navigating survival under duress.

Download research paper