Ukraine's parliament extends martial law and mobilisation by 90 days, keeping elections suspended until at least late January

Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on Monday 26 October voted to extend martial law and general mobilisation for a further 90 days, Ukrinform reported.

According to Ukrinform, 293 MPs supported draft law No. 16182 approving President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decree extending martial law, and 281 backed draft law No. 16183 extending general mobilisation. Ukrainska Pravda and Interfax-Ukraine reported that 280 MPs voted for the laws to be signed immediately. Both extensions run from 2:30am GMT on 31 October 2026 (05:30 Kyiv time) to 29 January 2027, according to the reports.

National Security and Defence Council Secretary Ihor Klymenko told parliament before the vote that the extension provides the powers “necessary to repel armed aggression”, Ukrinform reported.

Under Article 19 of Ukraine’s law on the legal regime of martial law, presidential, parliamentary and local elections and referendums cannot be held while martial law is in force. Elections therefore remain suspended until at least 29 January 2027. Some outlets described Monday’s vote as extending the election ban; the vote itself was the regular martial-law renewal, and the suspension of elections follows from the law.

Zelenskyy said in December 2025 that martial law can only be lifted once Ukraine has security guarantees.

Martial law has been in force since Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022 and has been renewed every 90 days since.