Ukrainian volunteers in the Global Sumud Flotilla Mission to Gaza say their participation is a call for humanitarian access, international accountability and solidarity against occupation, reports the European Network for Solidarity with Ukraine.

Two representatives of Ukrainian human rights activism have announced their participation in the international civilian mission to Gaza, joining volunteers from across the world in an effort to deliver humanitarian aid and challenge the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza.

Nina Potarska is a Ukrainian sociologist, feminist political economy researcher and director of the Centre for Social and Labor Research, as well as a member of the Global Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership. Andrii Movchan is a Ukrainian left-wing activist, journalist and publicist and a member of the European Network for Solidarity with Ukraine.

In their video address to people who support Ukraine, the Ukrainian team says they are heading to Gaza as part of a broader movement of volunteers, doctors, teachers and human rights activists who are responding to what they describe as a total humanitarian catastrophe. The group states that the blockade has cut civilians off from essential goods, including food and medicine, and that urgent international action is needed to ensure safe humanitarian access.

“Our journey is not about geopolitics,” Nina Potarska says in the video statement. “We are here to remind the world that international law and human rights are universal principles.”

As representatives of a country that continues to resist Russian invasion, the Ukrainian representatives say they cannot remain silent in the face of Palestinian suffering. “As Ukrainians – representatives of a nation resisting aggression and occupation – we cannot stand aside. We cannot leave the Palestinian people alone,” Andrii Movchan points out.

Nina Potarska adds: “As a researcher of war and survival, I see in Gaza not an abstract crisis but a pattern: when civilians are cut off from food, water and care, everyday life collapses. UN data shows hundreds of thousands facing acute food insecurity. As Ukrainians, we understand how occupation affects civilian life — through control over infrastructure, mobility and access to basic necessities. This is not only a humanitarian emergency — it is a failure of civilian protection, one that demands political accountability.”

The Ukrainians say their participation in the flotilla is rooted in solidarity with civilians living under siege and in a belief that opposition to occupation, annexation and violations of international law must be applied consistently everywhere.

The Ukrainian team is calling on media outlets, civil society organizations, elected officials and supporters of Ukraine worldwide to pay attention to Gaza, and to defend the principle that international law must apply to all peoples.

“From Ukraine to Palestine, occupation is a crime,” the video statement concludes.

The broader Global Sumud Flotilla describes its Spring 2026 mission as a civilian-led international effort formed in response to calls from Palestinians in Gaza. According to the organization, the mission brings together participants from more than 70 countries and includes humanitarian, medical, and reconstruction-oriented volunteers.

Image: c/o Labour Hub