A register of damage caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine has been opened

On Tuesday, April 2, Register of damage caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine, began accepting applications. In the first hours, more than a hundred requests for compensation for losses from the Russian invasion were received.

While applications for damage or destruction of residential property are being accepted, writes Interfax-Ukraine with reference to the press service of the Register. Over the course of the year, more than 40 categories of damages will be opened, including death, personal injury, torture and sexualized violence. Applications for forced deportation and loss of property will also be accepted. In addition, the categories will include damage to historical and cultural heritage and the environment.

Individuals and legal entities, as well as the state, can file claims for losses. According to experts, the number of material claims against Russia from Ukrainians could reach 600 thousand. The compensation payment mechanism has not yet been determined. The register created last year by the Council of Europe is one of the important steps in this direction.

The start of submitting applications was announced at the international conference “Restoring Justice for Ukraine”, held in The Hague. The statement, signed by 44 countries, including the United States, Great Britain, France, and Germany, speaks of the need to create an international tribunal within which those responsible for aggression against Ukraine will be investigated and brought to justice.

It is assumed that this judicial structure will be able to hold senior Russian officials accountable. The International Criminal Court (ICC) last year issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and children’s rights ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova on charges of kidnapping Ukrainian children, but it cannot hear cases of aggression against Ukraine.