HRC 63 – Oral statement on the situation in Ukraine
Accountability & Rule of Law - Ukraine - Advocacy - Strategic Litigation
Human Rights Council 63rd Session
Interactive dialogue on High Commissioner oral update on Ukraine
2 October 2026
Mr.Vice-President,
Anatolii Kornieiev was 80 years old when the Kakhovka Dam collapsed and flooded his town in Kherson, Ukraine. He lived alone. When his family managed to get through to him by phone, he shouted one word – “water” – before the line went dead. They never heard from him again.
Three years have passed since the Dam’s destruction. The site remains under Russian occupation. No one has been held accountable for the deaths of hundreds of civilians, including Anatolii.
During this Council’s 62nd Session, Anatolii’s granddaughter – Anastasiia – spoke about her family’s quest for justice. To support them and six other families who lost relatives in this attack, Legal Action Worldwide and Truth Hounds filed a complaint to the Human Rights Committee in June, arguing that Russia violated their right to life.
We urge the Human Rights Committee to address this complaint, and to prioritize other outstanding submissions related to Russia’s war of aggression – some registered over 4 years ago.
States should also support independent investigations into the dam’s destruction and champion accountability for the victims.
Mr. Vice-President,
What can this Council do to ensure that those responsible are held to account, and that the families of the victims can receive answers and obtain recognition ?
Thank you.
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