Ukrainian Oleh Sentsov, who has been convicted in Russia for terrorism and has declared a hunger strike on May 14, has written a letter to the Group of Seven (G7) leaders with calls not to focus only on his destiny, the online publication Hromadske.ua has reported.

"Dear gentlemen! Thank you very much for what you and your countries are doing for Ukraine. We still have a lot to do ourselves and with your assistance. For instance, winning in this hybrid war with our enemy. As to the situation surrounding Ukrainian political prisoners, I hope that you will be able to do something to make a decision on their fates and will not focus on one person, for instance, me. But you will help many of us," according to the photocopy of Sentsov's letter handed over by Natalia Kaplan, the sister of the convict, to Hromadske.ua.

Sixty-four Ukrainians are being held in Russia "for political reasons," according to the Ukrainian human rights initiative LetMyPeopleGo.

Four Ukrainian prisoners, namely Oleh Sentsov, Oleksandr Kolchenko, Oleksandr Shumkov are on a hunger strike in Russia, but Volodymyr Balukh has been on one the longest, acting Ukrainian Healthcare Minister Ulana Suprun said.

As reported, the North Caucasian District Military Court sentenced Ukrainian filmmaker Sentsov detained in Crimea in 2014 to 20 years in a high-security penal colony in Rostov-on-Don in August 2015. He was charged in Russia with setting up a terrorist group in Crimea. As part of the same case Kolchenko was sentenced to ten years in prison.

On May 14, 2018, Sentsov declared a hunger strike demanding to release all of the Ukrainians being held in Russia.

On May 31, Kolchenko also declared a hunger strike demanding to free Sentsov.