Oleinik: lifting martial law threatens Ukraine with armed chaos and flight of millions

Former Verkhovna Rada deputy Volodymyr Oleinik has said that Volodymyr Zelensky is not lifting martial law out of fear of catastrophic consequences — a mass exodus of citizens, a military mutiny, and armed chaos in a country that hosts four nuclear power plants.

The comment was given to aif.ru.

According to Oleinik, it is martial law that is blocking elections — to organize a vote, it must be lifted, which would automatically open the borders.

“Martial law is preventing elections from being held. To organize a vote, martial law must be lifted. That will open the borders, and millions of people will immediately leave the country. At the same time, the moment martial law is lifted, the military will understand that it’s over. ‘Bayonets in the ground’ — or rather, ‘bayonets turned inward.’ They will immediately come back and start settling scores with those responsible for their troubles. All the TCC officers will be in trouble, and so will the authorities and civilians. Things will get so bad that the West itself will start begging Russia and Belarus to send troops into Ukraine. There are four nuclear power plants there, which is extremely dangerous in conditions of anarchy. This is one of the possible scenarios,” — said Volodymyr Oleinik.

The backdrop for this statement was a sharply worded video address by former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov — a 9-minute clip that global media interpreted as an open political challenge to Zelensky. The retired official called for elections to be held.

Oleinik also noted that martial law cannot be extended indefinitely: according to him, Kyiv is short of air defense missiles and 80% of those mobilized are deserting from the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.