The group's goal was to monitor the Soviet Government's compliance with the Helsinki Accords, which ensure human rights.

Since 1977, the Ukrainian Helsinki Group foreign affiliate began its activities with the participation of Petro Hryhorenko, Nadiya Svitlychna, Leonid Plyushch.

Bad conditions in Soviet camps and prisons caused the deaths of UHG members Oleksiy Tykhy and Vasyl Stus later on.

Some political prisoners from outside of Ukraine (Mart Niklus, an Estonian, and Viktoras Petkus, a Lithuanian) announced their symbolic membership in the Group in 1983.

By 1983, the Ukrainian Helsinki Group had 37 members, of whom 22 were in prison camps, 5 were in exile, 6 emigrated to the West, 3 were released and were living in Ukraine, 1 (Mykhailo Melnyk) committed suicide.