Ukrainians whose home was destroyed by war can now apply for compensation online

Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov announced on Aug. 1 that Ukrainians whose homes had been destroyed by Russia’s full-scale war can now apply for compensation.

Applications have to be submitted by the property owners through the government services application Diia.

Previously, Ukrainians had to apply for such compensation to the local authorities in person.

Commissions established by local authorities will review these applications and make a decision on whether to provide compensation.

The policy so far only applies to those whose homes were located in the territories currently under Ukrainian control.

However, a separate mechanism is being developed to allow Ukrainians whose homes are located in Russian-occupied territories to also receive compensation.

"We will not leave anyone in trouble, but it takes time to prepare an effective process," Kubrakov wrote on Facebook.

The authorities will provide the compensation in the form of an electronic housing certificate, which individuals can use to purchase housing. They will have the freedom to choose housing in any community in Ukraine without any restrictions on the location.

"The algorithm is highly digitized and has already been successfully tested,” Kubrakov said. “We expect that the process of application review, property inspection, and decision-making regarding compensation will be much faster and more efficient.”

According to the Kyiv School of Economics, as of Jan. 23, the number of damaged or destroyed residential buildings in Ukraine reached 149,300, comprising 131,400 private houses, 17,500 apartment buildings, and 280 dormitories.

As Russia's full-scale military invasion entered its second year, the documented damage to residential and non-residential real estate and other infrastructure has now surpassed $143.8 billion at replacement cost.

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The Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko