Ukrainians who have lost close relatives due to the war can now submit claims for compensation to an international register of damages, the body announced on Thursday.
The Register of Damage for Ukraine said this is an important step toward recognising the extent of human suffering in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and a way for families to “seek justice and recognition for their profound loss.”
So far, Ukrainians could only submit claims for property damage caused by Russian attacks, such as the destruction of homes.
The register, based in The Hague, said it had received 13,000 claims amounting to a total value of about 800 million euros (823 million U.S. dollars).
Claimants must submit information about the person killed and the circumstances of their death.
The register said they did not have to provide evidence of direct financial losses, such as the loss of financial support, and could submit their applications digitally.
The damage register was set up in April by 43 countries and the European Union.
An international compensation mechanism planned for after the war was to examine the applications and decide on the amounts to be paid.
Ukraine had been defending itself against the full-scale Russian invasion for almost three years.
(dpa/NAN)
