Ukraine Extends Martial Law, Military Mobilization By 90 Days Amid War With Russia

Ukraine on Tuesday announced that it is extending the Martial Law as the blistering war ensues with Russia into the second year on the eastern flank of contentious Donbass. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on February 6 approved the law to extend martial law and military mobilization for another 90 days. In line with the Ukraine’s constitution, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy submitted the bill to the Verkhovna Rada on February 5. The draft aims to extend the martial law alongside other measure to mobilise more troops effective February 14.

This would be the 10th time that Kyiv has resorted to extending the martial law since Russia launched an all out invasion on Ukraine. The extension will be in effect until at least May 13, as per Ukraine’s local reports. As many as 335 parliamentarians voted in support of the decree. At least 323 supported the decree on extending mobilization amid the war, as per People's deputies, Oleksiy Goncharenko ("European Solidarity") and Yaroslav Zheleznyak ("The Voice”).  Ukraine has been under the martial law since February 24, when the Russian onslaught began.

Zelenskyy weighing ‘a possible dismissal’ of top military commander?

The decree was approved amid reports that Ukraine's president Zelenskyy has been weighing “a possible dismissal” of the country’s top military commander, a prospect that has shocked the nation fighting Russia’s invasion and worried Kyiv’s Western allies. 

When asked if he was considering the ouster of Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zelenskyy told Italian RAI TV in an interview that he was thinking about it as part of a broader issue of setting the country’s path. He said that “a reset, a new beginning is necessary,” and it’s “not about a single person but about the direction of the country’s leadership.”

“I’m thinking about this replacement, but you can’t say here we replaced a single person,” Zelenskyy said. “When we talk about this, I mean a replacement of a series of state leaders, not just in a single sector like the military. If we want to win we must all push in the same direction, convinced of victory, we cannot be discouraged, let our arms fall, we must have the right positive energy.” Zelesnkyy's decision to sack the military commander in midst of the hostilities has shocked the US, and Ukraine's European allies, the former Ukrainian President wrote in a post on Telegram.