Ukraine’s total losses from more than a decade of Russian aggression could exceed $1 trillion, according to Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Iryna Mudra, who warned that the scale of destruction goes far beyond damaged buildings and infrastructure.
Speaking on national television, Mudra said the estimate covers the entire period of Russian aggression against Ukraine and includes not only physical destruction, but also environmental damage, economic losses, destroyed energy infrastructure, and the long-term impact on human capital.
“Today, Ukraine’s potential losses over 12 years of Russian aggression are estimated at more than $1 trillion,” she said. “This concerns not only destroyed homes or infrastructure, but also environmental damage, business losses, energy infrastructure, and human capital.”
She added that since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 alone, damages to Ukraine have already exceeded $667 billion, citing World Bank assessments.
Mudra said the key challenge now is securing real compensation for the destruction caused by the war. Alongside efforts to establish a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, Kyiv is also pushing forward an international compensation mechanism intended to process claims and distribute reparations.
A central element of that effort is the international Register of Damage, already operating in The Hague, where Ukrainian citizens, businesses and state institutions can submit claims for losses caused by Russian aggression.
“I strongly encourage everyone to submit their claims,” Mudra stressed.
According to her, an international convention establishing a compensation commission has already been signed. The mechanism will officially come into force once it is ratified by at least 25 countries — a threshold Kyiv expects to reach before the end of the year.
“We expect the compensation commission to begin operating in 2027,” Mudra said.
The most difficult issue remains identifying the source of funding for future compensation payments. Ukraine insists that frozen Russian sovereign assets abroad should be used to finance reparations.
“Ukraine’s position remains unchanged — frozen Russian assets must become the source for compensation payments and reparations to Ukraine,” Mudra emphasized.
Kyiv has repeatedly argued that using immobilized Russian assets would not only help rebuild the country but would also establish accountability for the destruction caused by the war.
