“Even under unimaginable hardship, the captives did not surrender or lose their courage, which is a testament of the resilience of the Ukrainian people and our determination for victory against the aggressor,” concurred Olena Shvydka and Inesa Antonenko, two of the survivors of the Russian occupation in Yahidne, a village in northern Ukraine. On 3 March 2022, Russian military took control of the village and forcibly confined more than 300 residents (including 77 children) in a school basement lacking adequate ventilation for 26 days. The captives were overcrowded and enduring unsanitary conditions, limited food, and scarce water.

Congress member and Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg Véronique Bertholle (France, SOC/G/PD) underlined that survivors have become an inspiration for their strength in adversity as well as an example of joint efforts at local level in the reconstruction process. She conveyed to the two Ukrainian guests that their “resilience against those harrowing conditions spurs our work at the political level with European local and regional authorities as well as international partners to support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction and hold those responsible for these atrocities accountable.”

In this vein, Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori noted that Congress is raising the awareness of Ukrainian local and regional authorities and community leaders about the Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine so that Ukrainian citizens such as the residents in Yahidne can seek justice and compensation.

The meeting was co-organised by the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the Council of Europe, the City of Strasbourg as part of the concluding events of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.