The Register, the Commission and payment

What the Register decides

RD4U receives and organises claims and evidence. Its Board decides whether a claim meets the criteria for recording. The Register does not adjudicate liability in an individual case, value compensation or order payments. ^[1]

RD4U’s general criteria concern harm caused from 24 February 2022 within Ukraine’s internationally recognised territory by the Russian Federation’s internationally wrongful acts in or against Ukraine. Category rules take precedence: A2.1, A2.2 and A2.6, for example, include specified events outside Ukraine directly linked to an event in Ukraine. ^{[1] [4] [5] [6]}

Commission status on 16 September 2026

The Convention establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine opened for signature on 16 December 2025. The Council of Europe’s notice of 15 September 2026 records 40 signatories; nine states and the European Union had ratified it. A preparatory committee is working. The Commission is still being established; RD4U remains the current route for claimants. ^{[3] [7]}

Article 30(3) requires both 25 signatories’ consent to be bound and aggregate individual contributions, calculated by reference to RD4U’s 2025 budget, meeting a threshold of at least 50% of that budget. Entry into force follows on the first day of the month after three months have elapsed from meeting both conditions. Signature alone does not fulfil them. ^[2]

What the Commission is intended to do

The Convention provides for the Commission to determine whether claims are substantiated and decide compensation amounts. It provides for the Register’s work, claims and evidence to transfer to the Commission, with claims intake continuing under the relevant rules. An RD4U record does not mean the Commission has already decided the claim on its merits. ^[2]

From a decision to money

The Convention separates the Commission’s operating budget from funding for compensation awards. It proceeds from the Russian Federation’s obligation to make reparation; other members are not required to fund awards. Payment arrangements may be considered once funding is available. The mechanism therefore provides no guaranteed payment date for an individual at present. ^[2]

The Convention does not make a future decision automatically enforceable in every member’s national courts: the relevant member must expressly permit enforcement under its national law. ^[2]

What a claimant can do now

• Choose a category through “Where to start” and prepare the information required by its form.
• Submit through Diia. Keep the confirmation with your claim number and a copy of the submitted records. RD4U communicates claim status through Diia. ^[1]
• Distinguish submission confirmation, a decision to record the claim and a future compensation decision. Check notifications in your official account.
• Do not postpone other procedural deadlines while waiting for the Commission. “Parallel remedies: claims, decisions and previous payments” explains the interaction between routes.