Joint Statement by the EaP CSF Steering Committee on Threats Against Ukrainian Environmental Activist Vladyslav Balinskyy – Brussels, 4 February 2026
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) stands in solidarity with its member organisation, the National Ecological Center of Ukraine, which recently released a statement, and urgently draws attention to the case of Vladyslav Balinskyy, a prominent Ukrainian environmental activist, researcher, and journalist, as there is a real, immediate, and serious threat to his life and safety, linked directly to his professional, scientific, and civic activity.
Since 2014, Vladyslav Balinskyy has faced systematic persecution by the Russian Federation because of his research, investigative work, and civic engagement. This pressure escalated significantly after 2022 in response to his active role in documenting Russian war crimes and acts of ecocide. Both official and unofficial Russian outlets have waged a sustained disinformation campaign against Vladyslav Balinskyy. Moreover, in 2025, the Russian Federation initiated criminal proceedings against Vladyslav Balinskyy in absentia – an illustrative case of lawfare employed not to pursue justice, but to legitimise further repression and potential violence.
Credible information indicates that Vladyslav Balinskyy is facing significant risks as a result of his work. The National Ecological Center of Ukraine therefore underscores the gravity of this situation and stresses the urgent need for heightened international awareness and appropriate protective measures.
In this regard, we condemn any attempts to intimidate, persecute, physically harm, or silence civil society activists and journalists. Actions and activities originating from the Russia Federation constitute a serious and growing threat – not only to individual activists in Ukraine, but also to civil society and independent journalism across the entire Eastern Partnership region.
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum:
- Calls on the international community, EU institutions, EU Member States, and human rights organisations to take immediate and serious note of the threats faced by Vladyslav Balinskyy and to provide timely and meaningful support.
- Urges all relevant actors to make full use of available diplomatic, political, and protective instruments to ensure his personal safety and security.
- Calls on the European Union and its Member States to develop and implement effective, concrete and coordinated measures to protect civil society activists in Ukraine who investigate Russia’s international crimes and work to ensure accountability for perpetrators.
The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum remains united in its full support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in their courageous struggle for freedom, democracy, and a European future, as outlined in the Resolution of the EaP Civil Society Summit 2025.
The Steering Committee of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum
