FUNDRAISING

The programme has been funded pro bono to date but to effectively prosecute mass claims the programme’s resources must be sufficient to counter the strength and resources of Putin's War machine that it will meet in the courts.

This civil society programme believes it should not be funded by the Ukrainian government (which should be left to focus its resources on frontline and humanitarian matters). However, as well as its practical backing and support (in terms of evidence and claimant access to justice within the cases), the government has also committed to working with the programme (through leading Ukrainian charities and online platforms) to crowdfund its needs. This way:

• The more Ukrainian Claimants can be included in the programme's legal actions (which means the larger the cumulative value of damages sought against the Russian war machine and the more the programme can punish it for its crimes).
• The more Defendants can be targeted from within the Russian war machine (which expands the pool of assets the programme can target for reparations).
• The more the programme can effectively frustrate the Russian war machine (the energy and cost to Russia in defending the legal actions within the programme and having to protect its assets is more than nuisance value).
• The more the programme can expose the Russian war machine, making it accountable in courts of law for its acts of terrorism, criminality and war crimes.

We call on members of the global community who wish to help Ukrainian victims and frustrate the Putin’s war-machine to donate to this initiative and pass this link to friends and encourage them to do the same.

By doing so, not only will you help strike a blow against Putin’s terror machine, but you will also give hope to Ukrainians that they may receive just reparations to help rebuild their lives and the country once Putin’s illegal war is over.

All funds received will be carefully managed to fund the costs and expenses of the court process as well as the world expert practitioner team (including lawyers, medical and military experts, investigators, intelligence, campaigners, and communication specialists) engaged in the wider lawfare campaign. Any sums not utilised for these purposes at the end of the campaign will be donated to the general Ukrainian Reparations Fund (for the victims of war).

If the programme cannot raise sufficient funds through crowdfunding to take on the Russian war machine around the world, then it will seek to solicit individual private donations.

However, should this not be possible, to ensure that we are able to take on the full might of the Russian war machine in courtrooms around the world, as a last resort, part of any funds that may be recovered may be used to pay for the commercial funding of a given action. Litigation funding, also known as third party funding or litigation finance, is where a third party (with no prior connection to the litigation) agrees to finance all or part of the legal costs of the litigation, in return for a fee payable from the proceeds recovered by the funded litigant. This fee is usually a small proportion of the total damages awarded to the individual and would ensure that it is possible to obtain justice for Ukrainians.

Crucially, this not-for-profit programme pledges that it will always remain free for Ukrainians, and every amount donated will go towards the effort to challenge Putin’s war machine in courtrooms around the world.

Thank you for your support.