How can one prove ownership of destroyed housing? Why do registries require enhanced cybersecurity measures? How can new legislative initiatives help citizens safeguard their property? These questions were the focus of an open dialogue on information security in property rights, held on 31 March 2025 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
The event, organised by the NGO "Get it Back" in cooperation with the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, with the support of the Council of Europe, brought together over 500 participants, both offline and online. The discussion included representatives of local authorities, Administrative Service Centres (CNAPs), NGOs, lawyers, and experts working on the restoration of property rights for Ukrainians.
Lost documents – lost opportunities
The event’s moderator, co-founder of the NGO "Get it Back" and notary Olga Onishchuk, emphasised that, during wartime, many citizens lose not only their property but also their ownership documents. "Losing such documents, in the absence of verified data in the State Register of Property Rights to Real Estate, significantly complicates access to numerous state services and programmes, including the compensation programme ‘eRecovery’", she noted.
Nataliia Kozlovska, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine, stressed: "Verification of property ownership data is a mandatory element of the ‘eRecovery’ programme. This approach will be maintained, as it allows for prompt, transparent, and paperless compensation for properties damaged or destroyed as a result of Russia’s military aggression".
Cybersecurity and Digital Protection of Registries
The Ministry of Justice is working on strengthening the protection of state registries following recent cyberattacks.
Victoria Vasylchuk, Deputy Minister of Justice of Ukraine, stated: "This attack, the threat we have faced, has opened new opportunities. Ultimately, every challenge should be seen as an opportunity for improvement! The Ministry of Justice is currently implementing specific measures aimed at securing registries, strengthening their protection, and ensuring maximum cyber hygiene among users". The Ministry is actively enhancing registry security, including the establishment of a Cybersecurity Centre, whose analysts will provide round-the-clock monitoring and threat analysis.
A new law to assist property owners
One of the main obstacles to confirming ownership of destroyed property is the lack of access to Bureau of Technical Inventory (BTI) archives. Draft Law No. 11440, developed with the support of Council of Europe experts, proposes a solution to this issue. As Roman Babii, Member of Parliament of Ukraine and member of the Committee on Legal Policy, noted: "Indeed, Draft Law No. 11440 aims to help homeowners register their property rights in the electronic registry in a simplified manner if access to relevant BTI records has been lost or they have been destroyed due to Russia’s military aggression". Work is ongoing to introduce amendments to minimise the risks of abuse within the simplified procedure.
The ‘Diia’ portal as an alternative to bureaucracy
In addition to traditional registration through state registrars and notaries, citizens can submit applications for data entry into the registry via the ‘Diia’ portal. Viacheslav Hardikov, Director of the Department of State Registration at the Ministry of Justice, reported that over the past year, more than 19,000 applications were submitted through this service—twice as many as in 2023. "This indicates a significant increase in demand for such a convenient service among citizens", he noted. However, data integration into the registry is hindered by the fact that not all BTIs are connected to the online system. Currently, only 103 out of 251 bureaus interact with the registry electronically.
The event underscored the need for a comprehensive approach to protecting property rights during wartime. Speakers highlighted the importance of entering data into the State Register of Property Rights, as the registry is a reliable place for storing ownership information.
Steps to take immediately:
- Ensure that your property rights are registered in the State Register of Property Rights.
- If the registry lacks the necessary information, submit an application through a notary, a state registrar, or the ‘Diia’ portal.
- Follow the adoption process of Draft Law No. 11440, aimed at simplifying property rights registration.
The discussion was organised with the support of the Council of Europe projects "Facilitating housing solutions for the war-affected people in Ukraine" and "Strengthening judicial and non-judicial remedies for the human rights protection of the war-affected people in Ukraine", implemented as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine "Resilience, Recovery and Reconstruction" (2023–2026).
