Occupied areas of Ukraine

Ukrainians in occupied territories continue to resist Russian colonisation, forced assimilation, violence and economic pillage. This page presents reliable sources of information, news and analysis, and links to solidarity campaigns.

There are campaigns trying to engage elected representatives (municipal and regional) in solidarity with their counterparts in the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

The first call, on Monday 4 July, was addressed by Maria Kurinna of the Zmina information centre for human rights; Oleksandr Kliuzhev of the Opora civil network; Denys Volokha of the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group; and Vlad Mykhnenko, University of Oxford, who comes from Donetsk. The discusssion focused on forced deportation of Ukrainian citizens, including children, to the Russian federation, as well as the “de-Ukrainisation” of education curricula. Maria and Denys detailed cases of civil society activists and journalists, both in the recently occupied territories and Crimea, who had faced repressive measures and violence from the Russian forces. Oleksandr highlighted the difficulties facing Ukrainian local government officials who remained in the occupied territories and refused to cooperate with the occupation authorities. In discussion, Vlad answered some questions on the Lugano conference on post-war reconstruction, which was taking place on the same day.

The second call, on Thursday 14 July, was addressed by Pavel Lisyansky and Vera Yastrebova of the Eastern Human Rights Group, which was set up in 2014 in the Donbas, with strong links to the trade union movement.

They explained the practical support they are giving to people who have been forcibly deported, and described the difficult economic and political conditions for working people in the occupied areas. In a wide ranging discussion, the role of Russian trade unions who are collaborating with the occupation authorities was discussed. So was the need to support worker organisation on both sides of the front line.