Ukraine’s Least Accountable Parliament Takes a Break Amid Crises

Source: Author’s Facebook page

An even larger wave of missile and drone attacks is expected within the next 24 hours, following a day marked by fires, destruction, and escalating Russian aggression.

The situation at the front remains dire. The military repeatedly speaks of a critical shortage of weapons. Meanwhile, outstanding payments for arms deliveries have long surpassed 240 billion UAH — billions have left the budget, but the weapons have not arrived on time.

As for our so-called diplomatic “successes,” I won’t even comment.

At the same time, Parliament is on a three-week vacation. Members of the ruling monomajority and their allied factions are mostly abroad. They couldn’t even be brought together for the anticipated vote on a government reshuffle scheduled for July 7–8.

Neither the catastrophic shortage of weapons nor the need to protect Ukrainian cities seems to interest many of my colleagues. What matters to them now is summer and holidays. Most of the leadership is absent, too.

The longest-serving parliament in Ukraine’s history has proven to be the least effective in the country’s most critical moment. In my view, it has long outlived its purpose.

I write far less frequently now, perhaps because everything feels painfully obvious. The Russian offensive will continue through the summer, as will relentless pressure on our rear cities. But the decisive questions will come in the fall: Will Putin proceed with full-scale mobilization? And what level of allied support will Ukraine still have at that point? Much depends on how those questions are answered.
But what urgently needs to be done now is to restore order within the Ministry of Defense, both in terms of procurement and deliveries. Yet nothing is happening, despite maximum public scrutiny. Worse still, there are attempts to remove accountability for failed contracts altogether.

It would be worthwhile, for sure, to equip mobile fire units with more modern weapons, ones that wouldn’t be hindered even by laser sights…

And to build the strongest possible fortifications.

Instead, tram tracks are being relocated in Kyiv. And asphalt is being laid on Bohatyrska Street… at the cost of billions.

This is the mood after another sleepless night…

As a reminder, on the night of July 4, Russia carried out one of the most powerful attacks in recent times, launching over 550 air targets at Ukraine. The main target of the strike was Kyiv. Ukraine’s air defenses were able to destroy 478 of them, including Iskander-K cruise missiles and hundreds of Shahed kamikaze drones.

At the same time, the Russians also struck Kyiv. First, kamikaze drones were launched, then missiles. The consequences of the shelling were serious: significant destruction, numerous fires, and civilian casualties were recorded.

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