The regional forum "From Damage to Compensation: Effective Tools for Relocated and Affected Enterprises" as part of the "Dialogue between Business and Government" project in Kyiv brought together over 150 participants.

Entrepreneurs, business associations, public organizations, representatives of the State Tax Service in Luhansk region, the regional prosecutor's office, and communities in the region discussed the following issues: the real possibility of businesses to compensate for losses caused by the war; mechanisms that are already working at the international level; what needs to be done today to receive compensation in the future.

The speakers of the discussion panels were the head of the Kyiv office of the Register of Damages for Ukraine, Hanna Hristova, judge of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court, Olga Stupak, representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine and the international American organization Project Expedite Justice.

"The needs for the restoration of the Luhansk region are estimated at 32.9 billion USD, which is 5.6% of the total needs in the country and is the sixth indicator among the regions of Ukraine. The amount of damage caused in the region is estimated at 15.5 billion USD (fourth place among the regions of Ukraine), and direct losses amount to 14.8 billion USD," said the Head of the Luhansk Regional State Administration - Head of the Regional Military Administration Oleksiy Kharchenko.

He emphasized that the International Register of Losses is currently almost the only real opportunity for businesses in Luhansk Region to officially declare their losses. Entering information into this Register is the first and necessary step so that in the future, after the launch of the international compensation mechanism, affected enterprises can count on fair compensation for losses.

The forum participants were addressed by People's Deputy of Ukraine Ruslan Horbenko, who announced the creation of a compensation commission by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which will analyze the validity of applications submitted by businesses to the International Register of Losses, and emphasized the importance of creating legal conditions for the return of businesses to the deoccupied territories.

Arsentiy Holovchenko, representative of the Department for Compensation for Damage Caused by Armed Aggression of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, reported on the International Compensation Mechanism for Ukraine.

"Currently, there is no instrument that would allow for compensation for all of Ukraine's losses: from material to environmental. Therefore, a unique compensation mechanism is being created, the basis of which is the UN resolution of December 18, 2025," he noted, adding that 21 categories of applications have already been opened in the International Register of Losses, including the first three for legal entities.

The total amount of compensation will be determined by the International Commission, which is already being established. In addition, legal principles for using frozen Russian assets to compensate Ukraine for losses are being formed.

Hanna Hristova, Head of the Kyiv Office of the Register of Damages for Ukraine, presented the opportunities for businesses to file claims for war damage. She noted that two categories are open for filing claims: “B” (for state bodies) and “C” (business losses, including state-owned enterprises).

More than 40,000 applications have already been submitted. The key issue is proving ownership of the object, the fact of the event and its connection with Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine. It was noted that an important category for business – loss of assets on TOT – will be opened in the near future.

The last discussion panel was devoted to a review of the practice of the Supreme Court of Ukraine in disputes about compensation for damages. As reported by the judge of the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, Olha Stupak: court decisions on damages are important evidence for the International Register of Damages. 150 enterprises in Ukraine have already proven their damages in court. She emphasized that all claimants to the aggressor country are exempt from paying court fees.

At the end of the forum, for a significant personal contribution to defending the interests of business entities, cooperation in improving tax legislation and on the occasion of the professional holiday - the Day of the Tax Officer of Ukraine (to be celebrated on July 2) - the Acting Head of the Main Department of the State Tax Service in Luhansk region, Lyudmila Khvorostyan, was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Regional State Administration.