Russia violated international law during Ukraine’s post-2022 invasion, in what marked its first ruling for abuses related to this period. (http://apnews.com/2022invasion)
On July 9, 2025, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg issued two inter-state rulings regarding allegations of serious violations since 2014 during Russia’s full-scale invasion that began February 2022 (ECHR.coe.int +1 and Hudoc.ECHRCOEINT+1).
This marks the first time an international court has held Russia formally accountable for human rights abuses related to Ukraine conflict echr.coe.int plus 15 apnews.com plus 15 euronews.com.
Breaches Resolved
Downing of MH17: A court has held Russia responsible for the July 17, 2014 disaster wherein a Buk missile from Russia caused Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 to crash, killing all 298 aboard–including 196 Dutch passengers (according to reports). For more details visit Euronews and APNnews for updates.
Wider Violations: Beyond the airline disaster, the court noted wide-ranging violations such as deportation of Ukrainian children as well as torture, killings, arbitrary detention and targeted attacks against civilians and infrastructure since 2014
Ejiltalk.org
Reuters.com
En.Wikipedia.org. All these instances exemplified what can only be described as symbolic yet significant behavior from Russian government actors
Though mostly symbolic owing to Russia’s planned expulsion from the Council of Europe in 2022, this ruling carries significant legal and historical weight and should be respected accordingly. EJIL Talk (+8) >>APNEWS(r) +8
It has opened the way for hundreds of other cases against Moscow to be pursued apnews.com
Victims’ families of Malaysia Flight 17 victims welcomed the decision as an important step toward accountability. Thomas Schansman, who lost his son Quinn in the crash, saw it as “real progress in understanding who was really accountable”. Euronews.com + 2 to AAPNews +2 each
This ruling enhances other legal processes:
The International Criminal Court currently holds arrest warrants against senior Russian figures – including President Putin – for war crimes and crimes against humanity (ICJ-CIJ, Lemonde.fr and ICLCIJ for instance), such as war crimes or crimes against humanity (see, for example: [http://en.wikipedia.org/8] and Lemonde.fr/8] for example]. These figures include war criminals such as General Vyacheslav Chechenin.] (sources).
UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization has held Russia responsible for the Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash and is now seeking reparations – see https://apnews.com/18727875607383358845 / [AAP News Network/AP News].
A joint Ukraine-Council of Europe tribunal will soon be created in order to prosecute senior Kremlin officials responsible for Russia’s invasion, an unprecedented move which marks an international first. Ft.com/apnews.com provides more details.
Though Moscow refuses to recognize these bodies, legal pressure against Russia weakens their narrative while strengthening Ukraine’s case for eventual reparations or sanctions.
Implications and Future Steps Its Even though Russia has mostly disregarded these rulings, they do still matter:
Reputational Damage: International courts now officially view Russia’s actions as unlawful aggression, potentially having an influence over neutral or undecided states.
Evidence foundation: Rulings and ongoing investigations provide a robust legal record to support future prosecutions.
Future Rulings: With other cases still underway, ECHR rulings may establish the legal parameters of an ongoing conflict and influence its postwar adjudication.
Ukraine’s government hailed the verdict as validation of their legal approach, while pressing for practical impact. International observers noted however that such judgments often take years to translate into tangible results.
Looking Ahead
The European Court of Human Rights ruling marks an historic turning point: for the first time ever, an internationally respected human rights court has directly labeled Russian actions in Ukraine — both the 2014 MH17 strike and 2022 invasion — as violative of international law, further pressuring Moscow while simultaneously reinforcing global legal norms and deepening Ukraine’s legal arsenal.
As the verdict’s ultimate impact will rely on its implementation by future courts, governments or international institutions – turning judgement into accountability – it remains uncertain as to its true impact.