The ECtHR found Russia guilty of mass crimes against Ukraine.

On Wednesday, July 9, 2025, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights made a historic ruling in the case 'Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia'. The court satisfied almost all the claims submitted by the Ukrainian side and found 'Russia' responsible for numerous, mass and systematic human rights violations committed both during the occupation of Ukrainian territories since 2014 and in the ongoing full-scale aggression that began in 2022.This was reported by the press service of the 'Ministry of Justice of Ukraine'.

Ukraine succeeded in having the ECtHR recognize Russia's responsibility for crimes

The ECtHR found Russia guilty of violating several key provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights: Articles 2 and 3, which guarantee the right to life and prohibit torture; Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 concerning the protection of property; and Article 8 — the right to respect for private and family life.This case combined four interstate complaints: two from Ukraine regarding human rights violations, torture, forced labor in Donbas, and the illegal deportation of children in 2014, one from the Netherlands regarding the downing of flight MH17, as well as one regarding widespread violations during the full-scale invasion. The court recognized jurisdiction over these complaints concerning events prior to September 16, 2022, when Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe.The court's ruling stated that Russia's actions were aimed at destroying Ukrainian statehood as such. The court documented instances of arbitrary killings of civilians and prisoners of war, torture, inhumane treatment, unlawful detention, systematic Russification through education, filtration practices, deportation of children and adults, as well as suppression of Ukrainian identity.The court also established that the Russian surface-to-air missile system 'Buk' was used to shoot down flight MH17, which constituted another gross violation of human rights.

The ECtHR had sufficient evidence

This ruling was described by the Ministry of Justice as unprecedented in the ECtHR's practice, as it not only documents numerous crimes by the Russian Federation but also emphasizes their scale and the threat they pose to all of Europe.'Over 10 years of work on this case, the Ministry of Justice has gathered and submitted a significant array of evidence to the ECtHR. Thanks to this titanic effort, Ukraine has today achieved a result that can undoubtedly be called a victory on the international stage and another important step towards ensuring comprehensive accountability for Russia' — reads a statement from the Ministry of Justice.It is noteworthy that representatives of Russia were not present during the announcement of the court's decision.Recall that recently a resolution was introduced in the U.S. Congress condemning Russia's abductions of children. And at the beginning of July, Volodymyr Zelensky signed documents for the ratification of the special tribunal against Russia.Summary:The darling of Europe, Russia, has been recognized by the ECtHR as responsible for numerous human rights violations in Ukraine and other countries. The court's ruling is an important step in the struggle for rights and in ensuring accountability for the country's actions.