Zheleznyak Warned About the Risk of Radicalization of Protests Due to the Silence of the Authorities

People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak stated that ignoring public demands by the authorities can lead to the accumulation of discontent and radicalization of protests. According to him, during martial law Ukrainians cannot change the president, parliament, or local authorities through elections, which is why other lawful means of influence become particularly important.

Zheleznyak outlined three peaceful ways to convey a message to the authorities: publicly expressing discontent, writing on social media, and signing petitions. In his opinion, these tools often do not yield significant results, prompting citizens to increasingly participate in peaceful actions.

Protests in Kyiv and Other Cities in July 2026 Signal for the Authorities

The deputy cited the July actions in Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Lviv, and Uzhhorod as examples. He noted that not only young activists participated, but also veterans, volunteers, families of servicemen, and people who had previously not been involved in politics.

Zheleznyak claims that the participants in the protests were not so much advocating for specific officials as they were opposing the opaque nature of personnel decisions. He believes that the authorities must explain the appointments and dismissals of Cabinet members since the government remains the only central governing institution whose composition can be changed during martial law.

The law indeed prohibits conducting presidential, parliamentary, and local elections during martial law. The powers of the Verkhovna Rada continue until the elected parliament begins its work after the cancellation of martial law, which was also confirmed by the Central Election Commission.

What Zheleznyak Demands from the Ukrainian Authorities in August 2026

The deputy urged the authorities not to leave mass appeals unanswered and formulated three main demands:

• to explain personnel decisions regarding the government;
• to respond to mass public demands, even if the authorities' position differs;
• to resolve the issue with the appointment of the Minister of Defense as soon as possible.

Zheleznyak suggested that a combination of economic problems, a challenging situation on the front, war fatigue, and corruption scandals could escalate tension in the spring of 2027. At the same time, this is his political forecast and not a confirmed scenario.

The deputy specifically emphasized that he does not call for violence. According to him, non-peaceful protests during the war would be extremely dangerous for Ukraine and would align with Russia's interests.

Earlier, Zheleznyak reported details about a lawsuit against him by businessman Timur Mindich.