FOURTH SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 64825/16
Oleksiy Yevgeniyovych LAKTIONOV against Russia and Ukraine
and 37 other applications
(see list appended)
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 25 November 2025 as a Committee composed of:
Faris Vehabović, President,
Lorraine Schembri Orland,
Anne Louise Bormann, judges,
and Uğur Erdal, Acting Deputy Section Registrar,
Having regard to the above applications lodged on the various dates indicated in the appended table,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
THE FACTS
1. A list of the applicants is set out in the appendix.
The circumstances of the case
Events giving rise to the applications2. The applicants’ complaints emanated from the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. A detailed summary of that conflict can be found in Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia [GC], nos. 8019/16 and 3 others, §§ 35‑79, 9 July 2025.
3. The applicants in applications listed under nos. 1, 8, 13, 19, 24, 27 and 30-38 in the appended table stated that they were being held in pre‑trial detention or serving their prison sentences in various penitentiary institutions in the Donetsk region which have been outside of the control of the Ukrainian Government since 2014.
4. Operations of the Ukrainian postal service Ukrposhta on the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions outside the control of the Government have been suspended since July 2014 (see Tsezar and Others v. Ukraine, nos. 73590/14 and 6 others, § 9, 13 February 2018).
5. The applicants in the remaining 23 applications stated that they had sustained injuries and damage to property and, in some of the applications, they alleged that their relatives had been killed as a result of shelling carried out in the village of Stanytsya Luhanska, the Luhansk region, between 2014 and 2017.
6. On 26 February 2022 Russian forces occupied Stanytsya Luhanska. Consequently, Ukrposhta discontinued its services in Stanytsya Luhanska.
Withdrawal of the applicants’ representatives7. The applicants were initially represented by Ms G. Ovdiienko and Ms O. Ashchenko, lawyers working for the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, a Ukrainian NGO. On 23 August 2018 Ms O. Ashchenko informed the Court that she would no longer be acting as the representative of the applicants in the proceedings before the Court. On 20 August 2024 Ms G. Ovdiienko also informed the Court of her intention to withdraw from representing the applicants before the Court.
8. Following Ms Ashchenko’s withdrawal, the Court made attempts to contact the applicants represented by her. Most of the letters sent to the applicants by the Court remained unanswered, and some letters were returned undelivered.
9. After Ms G. Ovdiienko withdrew from representing the applicants, on 6 February 2025 the Court contacted the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group with a view to clarifying whether another lawyer intended to take over the representation of the applicants in these cases.
10. On 1 July 2025 the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group informed the Court that contact with these applicants had been lost due to the fact that most of them were living in the territories outside of the Government’s control.
COMPLAINTS
11. In respect of their allegations summarised above, the applicants relied on Articles 2, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 13 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention.
THE LAW
12. Having regard to the similar subject matter and procedural history of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision.
13. The Court notes that the applicants’ application forms do not contain any contact information other than their postal addresses in the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions which are outside of the Ukrainian Government’s control and in which, as explained above, the Ukrainian postal service Ukrposhta suspended its operations (see also Yuldashev and Others v. Russia and Ukraine (dec.), no. 35139/14 et al., § 12, 5 May 2020). Therefore, after the withdrawal of the applicants’ representatives, the Court became unable to communicate with the applicants and the attempts made by the Court to establish direct contact with the applicants were unsuccessful.
14. The Court also notes that, neither before nor after the withdrawal of their representatives did the applicants contact the Court directly. They also did not appoint another representative to act on their behalf before the Court. It must be stressed in this connection that Rule 47 § 7 of the Rules of Court requires applicants to keep the Court informed of any change of their addresses and of all circumstances relevant to their application. The Court considers that the fluid nature of the situation surrounding the applicants’ cases makes it all the more important for the Court to receive regular information and updates from the applicants (see Yuldashev and Others v. Russia and Ukraine (dec.), cited above, § 14).
15. The Court is thus faced with a situation in which it is not being provided with any information by the applicants nor is it in a position to contact them, which makes it impossible for the Court to continue to examine these applications.
16. The Court considers that, in these circumstances, the applicants may be regarded as no longer wishing to pursue their applications, within the meaning of Article 37 § 1 (a) of the Convention. Furthermore, in accordance with Article 37 § 1 in fine, the Court finds no special circumstances regarding respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and its Protocols which require the continued examination of the applications (Yuldashev and Others v. Russia and Ukraine (dec.), cited above, §§ 16-17).
17. Finally, the Court reiterates that under Article 37 § 2 of the Convention it may decide to restore an application to its list of cases if it considers that the circumstances justify such a course.
18. In view of the above, it is appropriate to strike the cases out of the list.
For these reasons, the Court, unanimously,
Decides to join the applications;
Decides to strike the applications out of its list of cases.
Done in English and notified in writing on 18 December 2025.
Uğur Erdal Faris Vehabović
Acting Deputy Registrar President
Appendix
List of cases:
No.
Application no.
Case name
Lodged on
Applicant
Year of Birth
Place of Residence
Nationality
1.
64825/16
Laktionov v. Russia and Ukraine
03/11/2016
Oleksiy Yevgeniyovych LAKTIONOV
1977
Olenivka
Ukrainian
2.
3116/17
Zentsev v. Russia and Ukraine
27/12/2016
Sergiy Oleksandrovych ZENTSEV
1952
Stanytsya Luhanskay
Ukrainian
3.
4114/17
Makhrevych v. Russia and Ukraine
29/12/2016
Yuliya Volodymyrivna MAKHREVYCH
1957
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
4.
4141/17
Azaretov v. Russia and Ukraine
29/12/2016
Pavlo Oleksandrovych AZARETOV
1969
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
5.
4562/17
Cherepakhina v. Russia and Ukraine
27/12/2016
Mariya Semenivna CHEREPAKHINA
1929
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
6.
7132/17
Malikova v. Russia and Ukraine
28/12/2016
Valentyna Afanasiyivna MALIKOVA
1943
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
7.
7476/17
Karpenko v. Russia and Ukraine
16/01/2017
Yevgen Volodymyrovych KARPENKO
1965
Luhansk
Ukrainian
8.
9687/17
Dobrobatko v. Russia and Ukraine
24/01/2017
Leonid Leonidovych DOBROBATKO
1970
Yenakieve
Ukrainian
9.
9851/17
Kalinko v. Russia and Ukraine
27/01/2017
Nina Grygorivna KALINKO
1956
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
10.
11223/17
Mykytenko v. Russia and Ukraine
01/02/2017
Valentyna Oleksiyivna MYKYTENKO
1950
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
11.
12569/17
Kuzyuberda v. Russia and Ukraine
07/02/2017
Nina Petrivna KUZYUBERDA
1935
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
12.
13458/17
Golodnova v. Russia and Ukraine
08/02/2017
Valentyna Vasylivna GOLODNOVA
1952
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
13.
13821/17
Pshenychnyy v. Russia and Ukraine
12/02/2017
Oleg Viktorovych PSHENYCHNYY
1965
Olenivka
Ukrainian
14.
13863/17
Kostromin v. Russia and Ukraine
17/02/2017
Mytrofan Yeliseyevych KOSTROMIN
1940
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
15.
15121/17
Serzhenko v. Russia and Ukraine
16/02/2017
Lidiya Leontiyivna SERZHENKO
1940
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
16.
17264/17
Cherepakhin v. Russia and Ukraine
23/02/2017
Mykola Ivanovych CHEREPAKHIN
1951
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
17.
20561/17
Shpak v. Russia and Ukraine
06/03/2017
Oleksiy Mykytovych SHPAK
1947
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
18.
20739/17
Usachov v. Russia and Ukraine
06/03/2017
Mykola Vasylyovych USACHOV
1937
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
19.
20746/17
Dyeyev v. Ukraine
06/03/2017
Volodymyr Petrovych DYEYEV
1956
Donetsk
Ukrainian
20.
21890/17
Yundina v. Russia and Ukraine
14/03/2017
Nataliya Viktorivna YUNDINA
1970
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
21.
22045/17
Tolmachova v. Russia and Ukraine
10/03/2017
Olga Mykhaylivna TOLMACHOVA
1961
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
22.
22108/17
Gopkina v. Russia and Ukraine
14/03/2017
Antonina Oleksiyivna GOPKINA
1959
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
23.
22379/17
Udodenko v. Russia and Ukraine
16/03/2017
Ganna Grygorivna UDODENKO
1958
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
24.
24003/17
Kovalenko v. Ukraine
20/03/2017
Mykhaylo Valeriyovych KOVALENKO
1982
Donetsk
Ukrainian
25.
24232/17
Shvets v. Russia and Ukraine
23/03/2017
Valentyna Kostyantynivna SHVETS
1941
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
26.
24257/17
Gorodovikov v. Russia and Ukraine
24/03/2017
Ivan Mykhaylovych GORODOVIKOV
1930
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
27.
31089/17
Zadorozhnyy v. Ukraine
06/04/2017
Yakov Volodymorovych ZADOROZHNYY
1960
Olenivka
Ukrainian
28.
32771/17
Gorodovikov v. Russia and Ukraine
27/03/2017
Ivan Mykhaylovych GORODOVIKOV
1930
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
29.
33271/17
Turyeyev v. Russia and Ukraine
23/04/2017
Mykola Grygoriyovych TURYEYEV
1951
Stanytsya Luhanska
Ukrainian
30.
37183/17
Novodran v. Russia and Ukraine
16/05/2017
Oleksandr Oleksandrovych NOVODRAN
1985
Donetsk
Ukrainian
31.
38908/17
Osipov v. Russia and Ukraine
24/05/2017
Viktor Viktorovych OSIPOV
1960
Donetsk
Ukrainian
32.
52527/17
Kochergin v. Ukraine
14/07/2017
Andriy Gennadiyovych KOCHERGIN
1977
Donetsk
Ukrainian
33.
62205/17
Savytskyy v. Russia and Ukraine
15/08/2017
Roman Viktorovych SAVYTSKYY
1985
Donetsk
Ukrainian
34.
72883/17
Zaika v. Russia and Ukraine
28/09/2017
Artem Oleksandrovych ZAIKA
1986
Donetsk
Ukrainian
35.
84740/17
Kuzmenko v. Russia and Ukraine
15/12/2017
Oleksandr Oleksandrovych KUZMENKO
1968
Yenakiyeve
Ukrainian
36.
12603/18
Semchuk v. Russia and Ukraine
26/02/2018
Sergiy Oleksandrovych SEMCHUK
1981
Yenakiyeve
Ukrainian
37.
63976/19
Duga v. Russia and Ukraine
02/12/2019
Oleksandr Mykolayovych DUGA
1973
Yenakiyeve
Ukrainian
38.
2105/20
Samoylov v. Russia and Ukraine
20/12/2019
Anatoliy Oleksiyovych SAMOYLOV
1962
Yelenovka
Ukrainian