On 9 July 2025, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) handed down its ruling on the admissibility and merits of the inter-state case of "Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia", whereby the Court upheld most claims advanced by the Government of Ukraine in its application against the Government of Russia.

The case concerns an unprecedented scale of violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to life, liberty, security and property, the prohibition of torture, slavery and forced labour, in the occupied territories of eastern Ukraine since at least 2014 and during the ongoing full-scale invasion. In its ruling, the ECHR concludes that the Russian Federation is responsible for these violations.

Another important aspect of the ruling is the ECHR's findings on the downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in July 2014. Ukraine and the Netherlands previously succeeded in presenting compelling evidence, on the basis of which the ECHR found Russia fully responsible for the violations committed in this tragic episode. In the ruling as of 9 July 2025, the ECHR found that Russia also violated Article 2 (Right to life), Article 3 (Prohibition of torture), and Article 13 (Right to an effective remedy) of the Convention.

Asters team acts as a pro bono legal advisor to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and includes Managing Partner Oleksiy Didkovskiy, Partners Oksana Legka and Oleksandr Volkov, Associates Valeriia Yakimova and Oleksandr Lutsenko. The legal support to the team of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine at various stages was provided by Ben Emmerson KC, Tim Otty KC, Lord Verdirame KC and other lawyers from Blackstone Chambers and 20 Essex in London, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.

Asters is the largest full-service law firm in Ukraine with offices in Kyiv, Brussels, London, and Washington, D.C., and access to over 125 jurisdictions through a well-developed network of partner law firms.