Ukraine Parliament Extends Martial Law

The Ukrainian Parliament has decided the nation’s state of martial law will not expire later this month, extending it a further 90 days.

Martial law will last until May 13th in Ukraine at least — and likely much longer than that, as the national Verkhovna Rada confirmed a law approving a presidential decree made on Monday. The measure passed with an overwhelming majority in the parliament where 11 opposition political parties were suspended in 2022, accused of fomenting “division or collusion” by President Zelensky.

As noted by Ukrainian state media, the original martial law was activated on the day of the Russian re-invasion on February 24th 2022, and was then extended on April 25, August 23, and November 21 of that year, then in 2023 on February 19, May 20, August 18, and November 15.

Very nearly two years after Russia re-launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 the conflict grinds on, although now at a considerably slower pace than the early days of the war, as both sides have dug trenches, planted mines, and settled into a war of drones and artillery.

Trench warfare notwithstanding, the Ukrainian state has spoken again of a Spring Counteroffensive for this year, predicting the Russian attempts to gain ground will be “completely exhausted” in a few months. More artillery donations are needed from the West to make this a reality, they have said, echoing complaints from Kyiv that the last counteroffensive failed for want of Western equipment in 2023.