STARUNOV AND OTHERS v. RUSSIA AND UKRAINE

  FOURTH SECTION DECISION Application no. 3285/17 Mykola Ivanovych STARUNOV against Russia and Ukraine and 13 other applications (see appended table) The European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), sitting on 9 April 2026 as a Committee composed of:  Faris Vehabović, President,  Lorraine Schembri Orland,  Anne Louise Bormann, judges, and Uğur Erdal, Acting Deputy Section Registrar, Having regard to the above applications against the Russian Federation and Ukraine lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) on the various dates indicated in the appended table, Having deliberated, decides as follows: FACTS AND PROCEDUREThe list of the applicants and the relevant details are set out in the appended table. In their applications the applicants raised complaints under Articles 2, 3, 5, 8, and 13 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention. The applicants were initially represented before the Court by Ms N. Okhotnikova. On 13 October 2025 Ms Okhotnikova informed the Registry that she would like to cease acting as the legal representative of the applicants before the Court. The applicants’ case files do not contain any contact information other than their postal addresses in the territories which are outside of the Ukrainian Government’s control and in which the Ukrainian postal service Ukrposhta suspended its operations (see also Yuldashev and Others v. Russia and Ukraine (dec.), no. 35139/14 et al., § 12, 5 May 2020). Therefore, after the withdrawal of the applicants’ representative, the Court became unable to communicate with the applicants. THE LAWHaving regard to the similar subject matter and procedural history of the applications, the Court finds it appropriate to examine them jointly in a single decision. In light of the foregoing, the applicants may be regarded as no longer wishing to pursue their applications, within the meaning of Article 37 § 1 (a) of the Convention. Furthermore, in accordance with Article 37 § 1 in fine, the Court finds no special circumstances regarding respect for human rights as defined in the Convention and its Protocols which require the continued examination of the applications (see Yuldashev and Others v. Russia and Ukraine (dec.), cited above, §§ 16-17). Finally, the Court reiterates that under Article 37 § 2 of the Convention it may decide to restore an application to its list of cases if it considers that the circumstances justify such a course. Accordingly, the cases should be struck out of the list. For these reasons, the Court, unanimously, Decides to join the applications; Decides to strike the applications out of its list of cases. Done in English and notified in writing on 13 May 2026.    Uğur Erdal Faris Vehabović  Acting Deputy Registrar President     APPENDIX List of applications raising complaints under Articles 2, 3, 5, 8, and 13 of the Convention and Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention No. Application no. Case name Lodged on Applicant Year of Birth Place of Residence Nationality 1. 3285/17 Starunov v. Russia and Ukraine 28/12/2016 Mykola Ivanovych STARUNOV 1952 Stanytsia Luhanska Ukrainian 2. 4161/17 Budak v. Russia and Ukraine 27/12/2016 Valentyna Kyrylivna BUDAK 1947 Stanytsia Luhanska Ukrainian 3. 4710/17 Karaichev v. Russia and Ukraine 30/12/2016 Valeriy Mykolayovych KARAICHEV 1965 Stanytsia Luhanska Ukrainian 4. 12039/17 Myronenko v. Russia and Ukraine 03/02/2017 Ivan Georgiyovych MYRONENKO 1947 Stanytsia Luhanska Ukrainian 5. 12638/17 Denisova v. Russia and Ukraine 10/02/2017 Galyna Danylivna DENISOVA 1943 Stanytsia Luhanska Ukrainian 6. 18150/17 Gerasimova v. Russia and Ukraine 02/03/2017 Tetyana Viktorivna GERASIMOVA 1973 Stanytsia Luhanska Ukrainian 7. 18167/17 Kalugina v. Russia and Ukraine 28/02/2017 Valentyna Mykolayivna KALUGINA 1954 Stanytsia Luhanska Ukrainian 8. 18864/17 Krasilnikova v. Russia and Ukraine 02/03/2017 Nataliya Viktorivna KRASILNIKOVA 1979 Stanytsia Luhanska Ukrainian 9. 19356/17 Slyesaryeva v. Russia and Ukraine 06/03/2017 Lidiya Petrivna SLYESARYEVA 1946 Stanytsia Luhanska Ukrainian 10. 22015/17 Savishchenko v. Russia and Ukraine 13/03/2017 Sergiy Ivanovych SAVISHCHENKO 1962 Stanytsia Luhanska Ukrainian 11. 41140/17 Lytvyn v. Russia and Ukraine 31/05/2017 Anton Oleksandrovych LYTVYN 1989 Makiivka Ukrainian 12. 73958/17 Gerasymchuk v. Russia and Ukraine 06/10/2017 Vasyl Fedorovych GERASYMCHUK 1979 Yenakiieve Ukrainian 13. 80495/17 Boychenko v. Russia and Ukraine 17/11/2017 Valentin Petrovich BOYCHENKO 1955 Avdiivka Ukrainian 14. 33921/18 Mykhaylov v. Russia and Ukraine 09/07/2018 Roman Sergiyovych MYKHAYLOV 1979 Yenakiieve Ukrainian