Hundreds of human rights activists and public figures ask for more air defence weapons in an open letter to allies. Among the signees is the Centre for Civil Liberties.

More than two hundred human rights activists and public figures appealed to Ukraine’s allies, thanking them for their unwavering support and stressing that the country needs more air defence facilities to protect its civilian population and critical infrastructure. They also reminded that the Russian economy continues to support a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in particular, by producing weapons.

The signees include Oleksandra Matviichuk, Chairwoman of the Centre for Civil Liberties; Oleh Sentsov, film director; Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of US Army Europe; Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament; Serhii Plokhii, Ukrainian and American historian; Oksana Forostyna, journalist, writer, and translator; Mariia Berlinska, Head of the Victory Drones project; Nataliia Humeniuk, Director of the Public Interest Journalism Lab, and many others.

Here is the text of the letter:

We, the signees to this appeal, extend our sincere gratitude to our allies for their unwavering support of Ukraine in its existential struggle against the threat to the very survival of the Ukrainian nation posed by Russian aggression.

Recent events have brought to light the urgent need for a comprehensive approach and drastic steps to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence.

On 8 July, on the eve of the 75^th NATO summit, Russia launched dozens of missiles at Ukraine. 44 people were killed and almost 200 were wounded. That day, the Kremlin’s targets included the Okhmatdyt Hospital in central Kyiv, where children with complex disorders are treated. This medical institution is known as the ‘hospital of last resort’. It specialises in pediatric oncology, neurosurgery, and genetic diseases, performing thousands of life-saving surgeries each year.

The decision to target Okhmatdyt was made deliberately. Since the full-scale invasion began in 2022, the Russian army has attacked Ukrainian hospitals 1,442 times. As in Syria, where Russia has been honing its tactics to destroy medical facilities, such actions represent yet another way to terrorise the civilian population.

These attacks are a blatant act of terrorism and a clear breach of international treaties protecting civilians in war zones, such as the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Conventions, the Rome Statute, and other rules of international humanitarian law.

Since the onset of the full-scale invasion, Russia has fired more than 5,000 strategic and short-range attack missiles, the same number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and approximately 29,000 glide bombs at Ukraine, causing damage to civilians and vital infrastructure.

Despite the brief hindrance caused to the Russian missile production by the sanctions, the Russian defence industry has quickly recovered and expanded. Compared to the previous year, missile production, including ballistic and cruise missiles, increased by 50 percent in 2024. The production of Iranian-designed Geranium-2 drones has doubled, while the production of guided bombs has increased by a staggering 260 per cent.

In addition to the attack that targeted medical personnel and patients, Russia continues to strike at critical infrastructure. Approximately two-thirds of Ukraine’s power facilities have been destroyed, damaged or seized. These brutal tactics call for an immediate and tough international response.

Therefore, we urgently call on our allies to take the long-awaited measures to protect Ukraine’s airspace.

While the delivery of F-16s is essential, we call on Ukraine’s foreign partners to respond to our pressing need for additional Patriot, NASAMS, IRIS-T and other critical air defence systems, including sufficient numbers of anti-aircraft guided missiles. This is critical in securing reliable protection against cruise and ballistic missile attacks throughout Ukraine.

We also encourage discussions on the matter of interception of Russian missiles over Ukraine by systems deployed in neighbouring NATO states. This approach takes into consideration the recent bilateral agreement between Ukraine and Poland, setting a precedent for regional cooperation. And we urge you to consider increasing to 0.25 per cent of GDP the military support provided to Ukraine by Western democracies.

As civil society, intellectuals and opinion leaders, we remain resilient and united in the face of challenges. We call on our allies to support Ukraine, to defend democracy and the innocent victims of senseless aggression. Together, we will strengthen the values of justice and freedom that unite us as a global community.

With deep gratitude and unwavering hope, sincerely

• Oleksandra Matviichuk, Chairwoman, Centre for Civil Liberties
• Lesia Orobets, Founder, Safe Sky for Ukraine initiative
• Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of US Army Europe
• Olena Davlikanova, PhD, political analyst, Sumy State University
• Veronika Welch, lawyer, communications expert
• Pat Cox, former President of the European Parliament
• Mykola Riabchuk, Honorary President, PEN Ukraine
• Serhii Plokhii, Ukrainian and American historian
• Myroslav Marynovych, Founding Member, Ukrainian Helsinki Group, philosopher, religious scholar
• Andrii Pavlyshyn, historian, translator, Member of PEN Ukraine
• Oleh Sentsov, film director
• Oksana Forostyna, Ukrainian journalist, writer, translator
• Dacian Cioloș, former Prime Minister of Romania
• Yevhen Hlibovytskyi, Director, Frontier Institute
• Yaroslav Hrytsak, Professor, Ukrainian Catholic University
• Alona Hetmanchuk, Director, New Europe Center
• Serhii Solodkyi, First Deputy Director, New Europe Center
• Ihor Poshyvailo, Director, National Memorial to the Heavenly Hundred Heroes and Revolution of Dignity Museum (Maidan Museum)
• Liubov Shypovych, Director, Dignitas Foundation
• Mariia Berlinska, Head of the Victory Drones Project
• Nataliia Humeniuk, Director, Public Interest Journalism Lab
• Olena Halushka, Co-Founder, International Center for Ukrainian Victory
• Serhii Sumlennyi, Managing Director, European Resilience Initiative Center
• Olia Hnatiuk, Professor, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy; Professor Emerita, Warsaw University
• Andreas Umland, German political scientist
• Alexander J. Motyl, American historian and writer
• Kostiantyn Sihov, Director, Dukh i Litera (‘Spirit and Letter’) Research and Publishing Association
• Oleksii Haran, Professor, Research Advisor, Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation
• Edwin Bendyk, President of the Board, Batory Foundation
• Ihor Shchupak, Director, ‘Tkuma’ Ukrainian Institute for Holocaust Studies
• Zenon Kowal, diplomat, former ambassador of the French-speaking governments of Belgium
• Geert Cami, Co-Founder, Secretary-General, Friends of Europe
• Oleksandra Suprun, Programme Manager, Friends of Europe
• Paul Révay, Member of the Board of Trustees, Friends of Europe
• Štefan Füle, Member of the Board of Trustees, Friends of Europe
• Igor Chocholak, Head of the Association of Ukrainians in Belgium
• Anne-Solène Rolland, Director of Research and Collections, Musée du Louvre
• Jasminko Halilovic, Founder, Director-General, War Childhood Museum
• Plamen Pantev, Founder, Director, Institute for Security and International Studies
• Juraj Majcin, Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre
• Linas Linkevičius, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Defence of Lithuania
• Hlib Vyshlinsky, Executive Director, Centre for Economic Strategy
• Marietje Schaake, former Member of the European Parliament from The Netherlands
• Olha Bielkova, former Member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
• Andris Piebalgs, Latvian politician and diplomat
• Dariia Mykhailyshyna, economist
• Ricardo Baptista Leite, Founder, President, UNITE — Global Parliamentarians Network to end HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis and other Infectious Diseases
• Lindsey Nefesh-Clarke, Founder and Director, Women’s WorldWide Web (W4)
• Ari-Pekka Liukkonen, Olympian swimmer, Finland
• Dorica Dan, President, Romanian National Alliance for Rare Diseases (RONARD)
• Viktoriia Vdovychenko, Director of Security and International Advocacy, Centre for Defence Strategies
• Tetiana Kulesha, Member of the Board of Directors, EURORDIS; Chairperson, Orphan Diseases of Ukraine Association
• Olena Shershun, Associate Partner, Civitta Ukraine
• Dmytro Baranov, Director, Justice for Ukraine Foundation
• Katarzyna Anna Nawrot, Professor, Poznan University of Economics and Business
• Klen Jäärats, Estonian public figure
• Alex Tempel, Policy Advisor at GIZ Representation
• Kerstin Duhme, expert in strategic communications, Brussels
• Georges Dallemagne, Belgian politician and doctor
• Nazar Bobytskyi, diplomat
• Michael Wilbur, Chief Operating Officer, EURORDIS
• Dora Chomiak, CEO, Razom for Ukraine
• Liliia Pustovit, Owner and Art Director, POUSTOVIT Fashion House
• Olena Tsybulska, member of DakhaBrakha musical quartet
• Olha Dukhnich, Ukrainian journalist
• Cengiz Aktar, Turkish journalist and writer
• Zoriana Rybchynska, Head of the Department of Cultural Studies, Ukrainian Catholic University
• Yurii Holovach, Professor, Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
• Martin Schulze Wessel, German historian
• Kai Struve, German historian
• Bohdan Novosiadlyi, Ukrainian astrophysicist
• Jurij Kozicki, Polish mathematician
• Olena Dzhedzhora, historian
• Krzysztof Czyżewski, President, Borderland Foundation
• Tomasz Kamusella, Polish historian and publicist
• Viktoriia Lavrynenko, podcast producer
• Pat Cox, former Member of the European Parliament
• Petro Dolhanov, historian
• Ineta Dabašinskienė, Lithuanian linguist
• Andrea Graziosi, Italian historian
• Wolfgang Mueller, Austrian historian
• Małgorzata Gorczyńska, Polish linguist
• Michael Moser, Austrian philologist, Slavist
• Guido Hausmann, German historian
• Oleksandr Kruhlov, historian
• Mariya Donska, Austrian Slavist
• Ruslan Kavatsiuk, President, DreamKyiv CSO
• Oksana Mikheieva, Professor, Ukrainian Catholic University
• Alti Rodal, Canadian historian, Co-Director of the Ukrainian Jewish Encounter (UJE)
• Rev. Yurii Kozlovskyi, Director, Collegium of the Ukrainian Catholic University
• Elizabeth Hull, an expert in American government, Constitutional law and civil liberties
• Oksana Bashuk, activist
• Andreas Kappeler, Austrian historian
• Jurij Dobczansky, Librarian, Library of Congress
• Halyna Hryn, President, Shevchenko Scientific Society, Inc.
• Oleh Wolowyna, Full Member, Shevchenko Scientific Society
• Orest Deychakiwsky, Co-Chair, Transatlantic Task Force for Ukraine
• Rory Finnin, Professor of Ukrainian Studies, University of Cambridge
• Oksana Piaseckyj, National Culture Chair, Ukrainian Women’s League of America
• Halyna Traversa, Ukrainian Women’s League of America
• Inia Tunstall, Member, Ukrainian Women’s League of America
• Peter J Piaseckyj, Member, Ukrainian American Veterans
• Nicholas Adam Turinski, Canadian civil servant (ret.)
• Roman D. Hryciw, Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Michigan
• Gennadi Poberezny, Professor, Ukrainian Free University
• Myroslav Sрkandriy, Canadian literary critic and art critic
• Lubomyr Luciuk, Professor, Canadian historian
• Martina Winkler, German historian
• Tomáš Halík, Professor, Czech philosopher and theologian
• Andrew Ripecky, Immediate Past President, Ukrainian Medical Association of North America
• Liudmyla Pidkuimukha, DSc, philologist
• Ingrida Unikaitė-Jakuntavičienė, Lithuanian political scientist
• Michael Naydan, American Slavist
• Mykhailo Honchar, Assistant Professor, Department of Pedagogy and Management of Education, Kherson Academy of Continuing Education
• Oleh Tretiak, Professor Emeritus, Drexel University
• NAFO Bremen
• Askold Melnyczuk, American writer, editor, and publisher at Arrowsmith Press
• Nina Tsybulko, volunteer at Misto Syly, a non-profit organisation
• Alexander B. Kuzma, Chief Development Officer, Ukrainian Catholic University Foundation
• Martin Joachim Kümmel, German linguist
• Alexander Ebner, German sociologist
• Bohdan Klid, Ukrainian and Canadian historian
• Paul Micevych, neurobiologist, University of California
• Markus Fulmek, Professor, Universität Wien
• David R. Marples, Canadian historian
• Alexandra Stefanyshyn, registered member of the Republican Party
• Barbara Dash, Librarian, Library of Congress
• Petro Hewka, President, Philadelphia Chapter of Ukrainian Engineers’ Society of America
• Jars Balan, Researcher, University of Alberta
• Yuliya Ilchuk, Associate Professor, Director of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Stanford University
• Taras Koznarsky, Canadian literary critic and historian
• Bohdan Vitvitsky, American lawyer and public figure
• Victoria Karpiak, Executive Member, Ottawa-Gatineau Branch of the Ukrainian National Federation
• Anni Beck, Member, Nafo HB
• Vladyslav Yatsenko, Editor-in-Chief, ‘History Webinar’ Youtube channel
• John-Paul Himka, Canadian historian
• Maksym Vakulenko, philologist
• Wioleta Grzesiak, Project Manager, UA Future
• Ihor J. Cehelsky, MD, lifetime member of UIA
• Tilman Eichstädt, COO Upstream at HelloFresh, Germany
• Taras Banakh, Professor of Mathematics, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
• Tatiana Rad, Member, Ukrainian Women’s League of America
• Katja Kolcio, Assistant Professor, Wesleyan University
• Bruno Heidlberger, Assistant Professor, Freie Universität Berlin
• Walter Clemens, Professor Emeritus, Boston University
• Irene Zabytko, American writer
• Elżbieta Kwiecińska, Assistant Professor, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Marta Farion, Vice-President, Ukrainian World Congress
• Oleh S. Ilnytzkyj, Professor Emeritus, Alberta University
• Olga Bertelsen, historian, Associate Professor of Global Security and Intelligence
• Yurij Wowczuk, American entrepreneur, Director of the Vovk Foundation, Inc.
• Joshua Zimmerman, historian, Chair in Holocaust Studies at Yeshiva University
• Francis Flaherty, American writer
• Yelena Zotova, Professor, Penn State University
• Tomasz Stryjek, Polish historian
• Yaryna Fedus, Doctor
• Nadiika Herbish, writer, journalist, translator
• Piotr Osęka, Polish historian
• Marianna Yeleiko, Head, Bohdan Hawrylyshyn Family Foundation
• Tetiana Brynzak, HR, Dragon Capital
• Mykola Hryckowian, President, Organisation for the Defence of the Four Freedoms for Ukraine (ODFU)
• Uliana Holovach, Assistant Professor, Ukrainian Catholic University
• Daniel Katscher, Doctoral Student, Universität Wien
• Joanna Konieczna-Sałamatin, Professor, University of Warsaw
• Joachim von Puttkamer, Professor, German historian
• Holly Case, American historian
• Bohdan Gerulak, Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA)
• Bohdan Troianovskyi, Director, Svichado Publishing House
• Khrystyna Cholach, Licensing Rights Manager, Svichado Publishing House
• Valeriia Kolinchasik, Assistant Director, Levit Publishing House
• Sergiy Yakovenko, Associate Professor, West Virginia University
• Nicholas Rudnytzky, Dean of Academic Services at Manor College, Pennsylvania
• Liudmyla Voronchenko, Director, Tiulpan Publishing House
• Pavlo Bandriwsky, Vice-President, Illinois Division, Organisation for the Defence of the Four Freedoms for Ukraine (ODFU)
• Domas Boguševičius, Lithuanian historian
• Roman Andryczyk, Member, Ukrainian Federation of America
• Vera Andryczyk, former President, Ukrainian Federation of America
• Eiji Furukawa, Visiting Professor, Akita International University
• Dariusz Stola, Polish historian
• Ariel Rosé, Editor, Both Sides of the Border Face East
• Dmytro Berdnik, Chairman, Markets’ Development Foundation
• Harald Binder, Founder, Centre for Urban History of East Central Europe
• Natalia Pylypiuk, DSc, Professor Emerita, University of Alberta
• Vera Yuzyk, Member, Ottawa-Gatineau branch, Ukrainian National Federation
• Maria Flynn, Ukrainian Women’s League of America
• Jerome P. Flynn, Professor, Rutgers University
• Lada Roslycky, Founder, Black Trident LLC
• Yurii Herasin, Student, Technische Universität Ilmenau
• Grzegorz Skrukwa, Polish historian
• Ringailė Trakymaitė, Lithuanian linguist
• Fjoralba Caka, Lecturer, Faculty of Law, University of Tirana
• Joséphine Goube, CEO, Sistech
• Tijana Tamburic, Co-Founder, Female Narratives
• Łukasz Dziekoński, CEO, Montis Capital
• Maria Vircikova, Co-Founder and CEO, MATSUKO
• Kamilla Sultanova, Founder, ConnectUz
• Paul Ames, writer
• Philippe Maze-Sencier, President, Teneo France
• Paweł Radziszewski, CTO, Nevomo, Poland