This testifies to the genocidal nature of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine 

We Represent, Protect, and Promote Ukraine and its highest value – People 🇺🇦

International Affairs

Kyiv

July 10, 2025

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine welcomes the decision of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the admissibility for consideration of the case ‘Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia’.

This unprecedented event has historic significance for all of Europe and especially for the Netherlands, Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

The European Court confirmed: The Russian Federation bears responsibility for numerous and systematic violations of the European Convention on Human Rights in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine since 2014.

The Court recognized that Russia’s armed aggression was accompanied by large-scale and deliberate human rights violations, including extrajudicial executions, tortures, deportation of children, destruction of private property, suppression of freedom of speech, religion and education in the Ukrainian language.

This is the first decision by an international judicial institution in which Russia has been officially recognized as responsible for shooting down Flight MH17 in 2014. The Court unequivocally stated: the death of 298 civilians is a violation of the right to life and cannot be justified by any circumstances. Russia has also been found guilty of attempting to obstruct the investigation of the tragedy through disinformation and falsifications.

The Court paid special attention to Russia’s crimes against Ukrainian children. The illegal displacement and adoption of Ukrainian minors has been recognized as an administrative practice that contradicts the Convention. The Court also obligated Russia to cooperate without delay in creating an international mechanism for identifying and returning displaced children.

In its decision, the ECHR directly emphasized: Russia’s actions are unprecedented in the history of the Council of Europe and pose a threat to peaceful coexistence on the continent. The Court clearly indicated the Russian Federation’s intention to destroy Ukrainian statehood and subjugate the Ukrainian people. In our opinion, this testifies to the genocidal nature of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine emphasizes: despite the termination of membership in the Council of Europe, Russia remains legally obligated to comply with the Court’s decisions according to Article 46 of the Convention. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe supervises the implementation of this decision, and Ukraine will work with partners to ensure that all established violations are properly compensated.

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Today, on July 9th, the life of little Dmytryk was cruelly taken by a Russian drone strike on a home in Pravdyne, Kherson region, where he was staying with his great-grandmother. He was only one year and two months old.

These toys, scattered by the blast wave, belonged to Dmytryk.

The world must call things by their name: Russia is waging genocidal aggression. And every day that passes without accountability fuels more crimes like this.

🕯 Remember Dmytryk. Demand justice and stand with Ukraine.