Over 600 Russian scientists sign open letter against Ukraine invasion

More than 600 Russian experts have signed an open letter condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

It comes as other European universities and national academies have expressed their solidarity with their Ukrainian counterparts.

In a letter published on the trv-science.ru website, Russian researchers describe the battle with Ukraine as "unfair" and "senseless."

Many of the signatories have relatives, friends, and scientific colleagues in Ukraine, and they claim that the attack is a "cynical betrayal" of prior generations of Russians and Ukrainians who fought alongside each other during WWII. 

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On February 24, Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered a land, sea, and air attack on Ukraine. The invasion followed months of tension as Russia amassed around 200,000 troops on its border with the former Soviet territory, which gained independence in 1991.

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According to the letter, the invasion will isolate Russia and turn it into an international pariah, making scientific work in the country difficult to continue as usual.

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The signatories state, "After all, conducting scientific research is unthinkable without complete cooperation with colleagues from other countries."

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'Russia's isolation from the rest of the world means that our country will continue to deteriorate culturally and technologically in the lack of any positive prospects.'

(With inputs from agencies)