The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is set to announce its ruling on July 9, 2025, in the landmark inter-State case of Ukraine and the Netherlands versus Russia. The case addresses serious human rights violations committed by Russia in the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk since 2014, the full-scale invasion launched in 2022, and the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in July 2014, which resulted in the deaths of 298 people.
This case is the largest inter-State proceeding in the history of the ECHR, combining four applications related to Russia's military actions and systemic abuses in Ukraine. The applications cover violations including torture, forced labor, unlawful abductions of Ukrainian children, and the MH17 tragedy. The court has previously recognized that the occupied territories were under Russian jurisdiction and that the missile which downed MH17 was fired from territory effectively controlled by Russia.
The MH17 incident involved a Russian-made Buk missile system operated by pro-Russian separatists with Russian military involvement, as established by international investigations and Dutch courts. Russia has denied responsibility and left the European Convention on Human Rights in 2022, but the ECHR retains jurisdiction over events before its withdrawal.
The ruling is highly anticipated as it could hold Russia accountable for gross human rights abuses and the MH17 disaster, potentially ordering reparations to victims’ families. The judgment will be delivered by the Grand Chamber of the ECHR in Strasbourg and is expected to have significant legal and political implications amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.