FOURTH SECTION
DECISION
Application no. 3285/17
Mykola Ivanovych STARUNOV against Russia and Ukraine
and 13 other applications
(see appended table)
The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 9 April 2026 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 against the Russian Federation and Ukraine lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on the various dates indicated in the appended table,
Having deliberated, decides as follows:
FACTS AND PROCEDUREThe list of the applicants and the relevant details are set out in the appended table.
In their applications the applicants raised complaints under Articles 2, 3, 5, 8, and 13 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention.
The applicants were initially represented before the Court by Ms N. Okhotnikova. On 13 October 2025 Ms Okhotnikova informed the Registry that she would like to cease acting as the legal representative of the applicants before the Court.
The applicants’ case files do not contain any contact information other than their postal addresses in the territories which are outside of the Ukrainian Government’s control and in which 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’ representative, the Court became unable to communicate with the applicants.
THE LAWHaving 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.
In light of the foregoing, 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 (see Yuldashev and Others v. Russia and Ukraine (dec.), cited above, §§ 16-17).
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.
Accordingly, the cases should be struck 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 13 May 2026.
Uğur Erdal Faris Vehabović
Acting Deputy Registrar President
APPENDIX
List of applications raising complaints under Articles 2, 3, 5, 8, and 13 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention
No.
Application no.
Case name
Lodged on
Applicant
Year of Birth
Place of Residence
Nationality
1.
3285/17
Starunov v. Russia and Ukraine
28/12/2016
Mykola Ivanovych
STARUNOV
1952
Stanytsia Luhanska
Ukrainian
2.
4161/17
Budak v. Russia and Ukraine
27/12/2016
Valentyna Kyrylivna
BUDAK
1947
Stanytsia Luhanska
Ukrainian
3.
4710/17
Karaichev v. Russia and Ukraine
30/12/2016
Valeriy Mykolayovych KARAICHEV
1965
Stanytsia Luhanska
Ukrainian
4.
12039/17
Myronenko v. Russia and Ukraine
03/02/2017
Ivan Georgiyovych MYRONENKO
1947
Stanytsia Luhanska
Ukrainian
5.
12638/17
Denisova v. Russia and Ukraine
10/02/2017
Galyna Danylivna
DENISOVA
1943
Stanytsia Luhanska
Ukrainian
6.
18150/17
Gerasimova v. Russia and Ukraine
02/03/2017
Tetyana Viktorivna GERASIMOVA
1973
Stanytsia Luhanska
Ukrainian
7.
18167/17
Kalugina v. Russia and Ukraine
28/02/2017
Valentyna Mykolayivna KALUGINA
1954
Stanytsia Luhanska
Ukrainian
8.
18864/17
Krasilnikova v. Russia and Ukraine
02/03/2017
Nataliya Viktorivna KRASILNIKOVA
1979
Stanytsia Luhanska
Ukrainian
9.
19356/17
Slyesaryeva v. Russia and Ukraine
06/03/2017
Lidiya Petrivna SLYESARYEVA
1946
Stanytsia Luhanska
Ukrainian
10.
22015/17
Savishchenko v. Russia and Ukraine
13/03/2017
Sergiy Ivanovych SAVISHCHENKO
1962
Stanytsia Luhanska
Ukrainian
11.
41140/17
Lytvyn v. Russia and Ukraine
31/05/2017
Anton Oleksandrovych LYTVYN
1989
Makiivka
Ukrainian
12.
73958/17
Gerasymchuk v. Russia and Ukraine
06/10/2017
Vasyl Fedorovych GERASYMCHUK
1979
Yenakiieve
Ukrainian
13.
80495/17
Boychenko v. Russia and Ukraine
17/11/2017
Valentin Petrovich BOYCHENKO
1955
Avdiivka
Ukrainian
14.
33921/18
Mykhaylov v. Russia and Ukraine
09/07/2018
Roman Sergiyovych MYKHAYLOV
1979
Yenakiieve
Ukrainian