Manifesto for the Day of Resistance to the Occupation

In 2014, Russia launched a war against Ukraine, which began with the occupation of the Crimean Peninsula. For more than 12 years, part of our country’s territory has been under Russian control. Millions of Ukrainian citizens live in danger every day because of the occupation. Russia unlawfully detains and tortures thousands of civilians, abducts, militarises and indoctrinates Ukrainian children, imposes its own citizenship on the residents of the territories it has seized, confiscates property and commits other crimes, turning them into daily practices. People under occupation live in conditions of daily coercion and the absence of a state that can protect their rights. Despite this, Ukrainian citizens under occupation resist every day.

This resistance reminds the world of Russia’s crime of aggression and calls upon active, coordinated and real action from democratic countries where human rights are not just empty words. History proves once again that appeasing an aggressor encourages them to commit even more crimes.

We, representatives of civil society organisations dealing with the protection of the rights of victims of war, including residents of the temporarily occupied territories,

consider that the only reason for the prolonged occupation of part of Ukraine’s territory is the aggression of the Russian Federation. The only way to protect our citizens living in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine is to completely de-occupy these territories and restore Ukrainian state authority over them;

affirm that the duration of the occupation does not make it normal, and we have no right to become accustomed to people’s suffering and to devalue their fight by remaining silent;

acknowledge that while the occupation continues, our people remain — those living in cities and villages seized by the Russian Federation and those who have been forced to leave. These people require systematic state support and protection;

insist that Ukraine should maintain ties with the residents of the temporarily occupied territories, provide comprehensive assistance for their relocation, and create conditions for their reintegration into the territories controlled by the Ukrainian government;

are convinced that measures to ensure national security must take into account the conditions in which Ukrainian citizens live and should not be used as a justification for excessive restrictions on the rights of residents of the temporarily occupied territories;

emphasise that it is important to speak about the temporarily occupied territories and the people who live there in a balanced and responsible manner, without politicising or stigmatising the experience of living under occupation. It is important to avoid statements that create prejudice or hostility, and instead send a clear message to citizens under occupation: Ukraine remembers them, will not abandon them, and is working to protect them and return their territories;

call upon international partners to ensure support for the Defence Forces of Ukraine and the protection of civilians throughout the entire sovereign territory of Ukraine, and to oppose pressure on the Ukrainian authorities to agree to an expansion of territories occupied by the Russian Federation.

The Manifesto is open for signature.

Support it and join the collective position in defence of Ukrainian citizens living under temporary occupation.

The Manifesto can be signed here until 1 March 2026.

After the collection of signatures is completed, the Manifesto will be submitted to the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and other state authorities and international partners of Ukraine.

Every signature matters.

1. The Human Rights Centre ZMINA
2. NGO Donbas SOS
3. CF EAST-SOS
4. CF Right to Protection
5. NGO Civil holding GROUP OF INFLUENCE
6. NGO Crisis Insight
7. NGO CrimeaSOS
8. CO Stabilization Support Services
9. Crimean Human Rights Group
10. The “Yellow Ribbon” civil resistance movement against the occupation
11. Yelyzaveta Kutsuk, Communication Manager, NGO Donbas SOS
12. Svitlana Barysheva, Appeals Intake Specialist, Donbas SOS NGO
13. Olena Demeshko, Communications Specialist, NGO Donbas SOS
14. Oleksandra Dvoretska, Human Rights Defender, Co-Founder, CF East SOS
15. Dina Urikh, Programme Director, CF Plakhta
16. Dmytro Yaprakh, Legal Advocacy Adviser, RCC
17. Yuliia Zakladna, Director, Charitable Foundation NASHI
18. Olena Barchuk, Deputy Chair of the Board, Charitable Organisation Rokada Charitable Foundation
19. Petro Hrabovyi, Officer for Pre-Integration Work, Goethe-Institut e.V.
20. Anna Ovcharenko, Director, NGO Tochka Skhodu
21. Daria Svyrydova, Partner, AZONES Law Firm
22. Khrystyna Solonenko, Donetsk, Yellow Ribbon movement
23. Liliia Aleksandrova, Activist, the Yellow Ribbon movement 
24. Veronika Nosal, Activist, the Yellow Ribbon movement
25. Viktor Shkurko, Investment Analyst, JSC Concern Galnaftogaz
26. Yana Burlutska, Co-Founder, NGO Camellia
27. Serhii Lushnikov, Director, LLC DZPM
28. Artur Sumarokov, Playwright, Film Critic
29. Yuliia Tsarkova, Civic Activist
30. Hanna Budii, IDP
31. Natalia Kurbatova, IDP from Donetsk
32. Iryna Dumych 
33. Tetiana Petrushyna 
34. Olha Pantelieieva 
35. Maryna Kuzhdina 
36. Oksana Shkarun 
37. Yevhen Hordiienko 
38. Veronika Sheldahaieva 
39. Arina Sharapova 
40. Sofiia Lysenko 
41. Rostyslav Karpenko 
42. Tetiana Musiienko 
43. Anatolii Kovalenko 
44. Lidiia Kuzemska 
45. Viktor Yelnikov 
46. Tetiana Radchenko 
47. Olha Kadochnykova 
48. Esma Idrisova 
49. Kateryna Myronova
50. Mariia Kondratiuk 
51. Denys Soldatov 
52. Nataliia Shevchuk 
53. Mariia Kotsiubynska 
54. Iryna Duhynets 
55. Olha Sladkova 
56. Hanna Chulturova 
57. Mykhailo Nabokin
58. Yevhen Benzyn