Bucha: Where Accountability Begins

Quiet streets, red brick houses, winter trees – the Ukrainian city of Bucha has a familiar European landscape. But Bucha has become one of the clearest symbols of the war crimes that Russia is committing in its war of aggression against Ukraine.

“In the red brick house behind me lived a family of four,” says EEAS Deputy Political Director Martin Bille Hermann during a visit to the site. “They fled Donbas in 2014, only to be killed here in 2022 by an invading Russian army.” Their names now stand memorialised among those of more than 500 civilians murdered in Bucha — a stark reminder that behind every statistic lies a human life.

Bucha is not only a place of mourning. It is a community where people want to continue living their daily lives and where the demand for justice becomes undeniable. “It is a testament to the horror of war crimes and the urgent need for justice. In a world of impunity, there is no security.” 

Video: Visit of EEAS Deputy Political Director Martin Bille Hermann to Bucha.

No peace without accountability

The European Union’s position is clear: without accountability, there can be no just and lasting peace. Today, accountability for events in Ukraine is under pressure — politically, legally, and operationally. Yet, the scale and gravity of crimes documented by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine demand sustained international action. 
EU support covers the entire accountability chain from documenting crimes and preserving evidence, to prosecution and victims’ rights, to truth, reparations and non-repetition.

Strengthening Ukraine’s justice system

National courts remain the primary fora for justice. The EU is committed to strengthening the Prosecutor General’s Office through the EU Advisory Mission and the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group, in close cooperation with the International Criminal Court. 

Multilateral action

At multilateral level, the EU is fully engaged in advancing two cornerstone initiatives.

First, the International Claims Commission, developed within the framework of the Council of Europe, will assess claims for damage, injury and loss caused by Russia’s aggression.

The EU signed the Convention to establish the International Claims Commission for Ukraine on 16 December 2025. 

Russia will not escape the bill for the homes, schools and hospitals it has destroyed in Ukraine.

EU High Representative / Vice-President Kaja Kallas speaking to the press following the Diplomatic conference for the Adoption of the Convention Establishing an International Claims Commission for Ukraine.

Second, the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression will make it possible to hold Russia’s highest political and military leadership accountable. With full operationalisation foreseen for 2029, the EU is investing political, legal and financial capital to advance the process as swiftly and credibly as possible - and to broaden international support.

Bucha as a Political Imperative

Bucha is not only a crime scene. It is a political imperative.

It reminds why accountability matters — not as an abstract legal concept, but as a condition for peace, security and the international rules-based order. 

For the European Union, standing with Ukraine means ensuring that crimes do not go unpunished, victims are not forgotten, and justice is not deferred indefinitely. Bucha demands nothing less.

Background

The European External Action Service's (EEAS) Deputy Political Director and Managing Director for Multilateral Relations, Human Rights and Democracy, Martin Bille Hermann, visited Ukraine on 8 – 11 December 2025. 

During his visit, he engaged in discussions with several interlocutors including Iryna Vereschuk, Deputy Head of the President’s Office, Mariana Betsa, Deputy Foreign Minister, Dmytro Lubinets, Ombudsman, representatives of civil society organisations, the EU Advisory Missions (EUAM), the Council of Europe and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Find our more about EU support to Ukraine.