ECHR plans to complete Ukraine-Russia interstate cases by end of 2028
Abel Campos, Deputy Registrar of the Court, said this in a comment to Ukrinform.
He said that the Court would not make unrealistic promises, but its goal was for all cases connected to the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia to be decided by the end of 2028.
He explained that this represents the shortest possible timeline, as such cases are rare and demand extensive preparation and resources. Campos noted that since 1953, the Court had considered only six interstate cases in total. Compared with the thousands of applications submitted since the Court's inception, these cases are extremely rare, yet require significant resources because they raise issues of international law and involve large-scale violations.
Campos added that interstate cases linked to armed conflicts generate a large number of individual applications from people affected by the conflict, which also fall under the scope of interstate proceedings. For greater efficiency, the Court had set up a Conflicts Unit staffed with specialists to handle such cases, supported by permanent legal staff. He explained that this applies not only to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine but also to past cases involving Armenia and Azerbaijan, and Georgia and Russia.
He also noted that cases related to Ukraine are particularly challenging in terms of human resources, as evidence and testimonies must be gathered while the war is ongoing.
According to Campos, two Ukrainian interstate cases against Russia remain under review. The first concerns Russia's attack on three Ukrainian naval vessels in the Kerch Strait on November 25, 2018, and the detention of 24 Ukrainian sailors. The second, registered in 2021, addresses politically motivated killings carried out by Russia both domestically and abroad, including in Council of Europe member states, which Ukraine claims are part of a deliberate Kremlin policy. He added that Poland and Lithuania had joined the case as third parties, and six other countries had received information requests from the Court.
On July 9, 2025, the ECHR's Grand Chamber in Strasbourg issued a ruling in the interstate case "Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia," recognizing multiple human rights violations by the aggressor state.
Photo: ECHR
