New Lawmaker from European Solidarity Replaces the Late Stepan Kubiv, CEC Confirms

Denys Piatyhorets Takes Parliamentary Seat

According to Главком: Ukraine’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has officially recognized Denys Piatyhorets as a newly elected people's deputy for the European Solidarity party, filling the vacancy left by Stepan Kubiv, who passed away on May 18. Piatyhorets was next in line on the party’s electoral list at number 28. He now has 20 days to submit the required documents to the CEC.

Piatyhorets’ Political Background

Piatyhorets entered politics in 2010 as a deputy in the Zaporizhzhia City Council representing the Party of Regions. Between 2012 and 2013, he gained notoriety for having one of the highest absentee rates at council sessions. From 2012 to 2019, he worked as an aide to Stepan Ivakhiv, an independent lawmaker, and in 2020, Ivakhiv transferred ownership of the company Sonris LTD to Piatyhorets. From 2021 to 2022, Piatyhorets served as the head of the enterprise Diverti.

Notably, from 2017 to 2019, he also held the position of deputy head of the Volyn Regional State Administration.

In other CEC decisions, the commission also certified Olena Kyiivets as a deputy following the termination of Daria Volodina’s mandate, and registered Olesia Otradnova as a people's deputy of Ukraine. CEC Deputy Chairman Serhiy Dubovyk reiterated that under martial law, holding elections or referendums in Ukraine is impossible. This can only happen after martial law is lifted, he stated.

Piatyhorets’ ascension to parliament underscores how Ukraine’s legislative body continues to evolve despite the instability caused by the ongoing state of war. With elections and referendums suspended, the composition of the Verkhovna Rada shifts only through vacancies and replacements, highlighting the need for political processes to adapt to the country’s current realities.