In Ukraine, “people are thirsty for justice.” More than two years after the start of the Russian invasion in the country, a “register of damages for Ukraine” officially opened in The Hague, this Tuesday, April 2, during a conference bringing together ministers and senior officials from Kiev, the Netherlands and European institutions.
This register allows Ukrainians who wish to do so to file claims for compensation for the destruction of their property due to Moscow’s invasion. “Hundreds” of claims have already been submitted, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kouleba. “This is a sign of the scale of demand,” he said at a press conference.
Between 300,000 and 600,000 requests are expected, concerning damage or destruction of homes – the category on which the register will focus in its debut. “This is a first concrete step,” assured Dmytro Kouleba.
Up to 10 million requests expected
Subsequently, victims will be able to file complaints in other categories, such as “death of a loved one, injuries, torture or sexual violence, involuntary displacement”, according to the register. Ukrainian businesses and the state will also be able to submit requests to repair critical infrastructure and businesses destroyed by the war.
“The registry expects six to eight million requests, perhaps even ten million,” which is “more than any other comparable repair system,” it says on its website. These claims can be filed through the popular Ukrainian government app Diia.
The announcement was made during the “Restoring Justice for Ukraine” conference in The Hague, which aims to help kyiv prosecute Russia for all crimes committed since the invasion. “Let each of those who destroy peace truly fear being judged in The Hague,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an introductory message. “Any potential attacker must know what awaits him.”