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Europe's compensation register for Russia's victims in Ukraine now fully operational

• 3 min read
Europe's compensation register for Russia's victims in Ukraine now fully operational
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the sidelines of the 4th Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe, in Reykjavik, Iceland, on May 17, 2023. (John Macdougall / AFP via Getty Images)

The Register of Damage for Ukraine, a database for collecting compensation claims arising from Russia's war, is fully operational as of Sept. 30, according to a Council of Europe press release.

The register is one of several components being established by the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe to make Russia face legal and financial consequences for its war against Ukraine.

"The Register of Damage for Ukraine represents the legal memory of this unjust war," said the Council of Europe's Secretary General Alain Berset.

"It is the first step towards a comprehensive system of compensation for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for the gross injustices they have suffered," he added.

The register contains 43 different categories of damage, which have been opening gradually since April 2024.

So far, the Council of Europe notes that it has received 195,000 claims to the register, which will be reviewed by an International Claims Commission, also being established, to determine the amount of compensation to award for each claim.

The central question is how this funding will be secured. The World Bank estimated in February 2026 that the total cost of Ukraine's reconstruction would stand at $588 billion.

Members of the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly proposed using some 200 billion euros (around $230 billion) of Russian assets frozen in Europe to contribute, but those assets are being eyed with a view to supporting Ukraine in other ways.

Alongside the government, individuals and businesses can submit damage claims using the Diia app, Ukraine's state mobile application for government services.

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Chris Powers

Brussels Correspondent

Chris Powers is the Brussels Correspondent with the Kyiv Independent. He reports on EU news and policy developments relevant to Ukraine, bridging the gap between Brussels and Kyiv. He was formerly the Defense and Tech Editor at the EU media outlet Euractiv. Chris holds a BA in History from the University of Cambridge and an MA in European Studies from the College of Europe.

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