KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s parliament voted on Thursday to extend martial law by another 90 days until Nov. 15, ruling out the possibility of parliamentary elections being held in October.
Ukraine brought in martial law on Feb. 24, 2022, the day Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbour. The law, which bars 18- to 60-year-old men from leaving the country, has since been extended several times.
Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of parliament, said on the Telegram messaging app that an overwhelming majority of lawmakers voted to extend martial law in a session of the Verkhovna Rada parliament.
Elections cannot be held during martial law and, with the nation scheduled to go to the polls in October to elect a new parliament, this will be the first time a big national vote has been pushed back due to the war, although the move was not unexpected.
As it stands, Ukraine is also due to hold presidential elections in March next year.
(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka and Kyiv newsroom; editing by Tom Balmforth and Hugh Lawson)
