Addressing the annual international meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in Hobart, Ukraine’s Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand Vasyl Myroshnychenko condemned Russia’s illegal incarceration of Dr Leonid Pshenichnov (pictured), a leading Ukrainian scientist specialising in Antarctica.
Ambassador Myroshnychenko also called on Australia and all other parties to the Convention to support Ukraine’s statement at the CCALMR calling for the immediate
release of Dr Pschenichov, a long-standing member of Ukraine’s CCAMLR delegation, who was imprisoned by Russian authorities in Kerch in temporarily occupied Crimea in
September 2025 shortly before his planned participation in the CCAMLR meetings in Hobart.
‘Given the political nature of this persecution and the attempt by the Russian Federation to undermine Ukraine’s scientific contribution within CCAMLR by depriving
one of its leading scientists of liberty, I respectfully appeal for attention to this matter and ask that Australia and other participating member states to support Ukraine with a
statement calling for the immediate release of Dr Pshenichnov from Russian imprisonment and the restoration of his ability to continue his scientific work within
CCAMLR,’ Ambassador Myroshnychenko said to gathered CCAMLR delegates.
Dr Pshenichnov has been engaged in CCAMLR-related research since 1983 and, from 1994 to 2025, has participated in CCAMLR activities exclusively as a Ukrainian scientist, never representing any other country. He was forced to take up a Russian passport while staying with family in temporarily occupied Crimea and has been arbitrarily charged with ‘threatening the security of the Russian Federation’.
‘Dr Pshenichnov’s arrest and imprisonment without any evidence is a blatant human rights abuse. He has a distinguished record of research and contribution to Antarctica’s conservation including support for the establishment of marine protected areas there, and participation in many CCAMLR initiatives. He is an international renown scientist – not a security threat – but that hasn’t stopped his persecution and this attempt by Russia to undermine Ukraine’s role at the CCAMLR,’ Ambassador Myroshnychenko said.
‘I call on Australia and other members of CCAMLR to demand the release of Dr Pshenichnov. We must together hold Russia to account for its authoritarian behaviours
and its attempt to ruin the work and deliberations of the CCAMLR which has long been a highly collegial and constructive forum in the best interests of Antarctica,’
Ambassador Myroshnychenko said.
