Nikita Poturaev has announced his intention to resign from his parliamentary seat
This emerged from the broadcast of the Verkhovna Rada’s plenary session on 16 July.
“I would ask my colleagues to consider this just as urgently as they consider other decisions,” said Poturaev from the parliamentary rostrum.
However, the MP did not specify which decision had prompted his statement. It came following a reshuffle of the Cabinet of Ministers and the decision not to reappoint Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister.
Fedorov’s resignation may have prompted Poturaev’s decision
On 14 July, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. The resolution was passed by 258 MPs. Along with the Prime Minister, the entire Cabinet of Ministers resigned.
The following day, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed MPs from the ‘Servant of the People’ party that he would propose appointing Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as head of the Ministry of Defence in place of Mykhailo Fedorov.
According to media reports, the President explained the personnel decision by citing a systemic conflict between Fedorov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, as well as the military leadership. RBC-Ukraine reported on differing views on the conduct of the war and disagreements regarding defence procurement. This information comes from the media, citing unnamed sources within the government; no such reasons have been officially announced.
On the evening of 15 July, Fedorov confirmed that he had stepped down as defence minister. He stated that he would continue to work on defence innovations, but did not say what position he might take up next.
Poturaev himself did not explicitly state that he was resigning specifically because of Fedorov’s dismissal. The link between these events remains, for now, a matter of speculation, based on the timing and wording of the MP’s statement.
When will Poturaev cease to be an MP?
A statement made from the parliamentary rostrum does not automatically result in the termination of a MP’s mandate. Article 81 of the Constitution stipulates that to resign, a MP must submit a personal statement, after which the Verkhovna Rada must pass a separate resolution. Until the vote takes place, Poturaev remains a Member of Parliament in legal terms.
Poturaev was elected in 2019 from the ‘Servant of the People’ national list, in 97th place. Following the early termination of his mandate, the Central Election Commission must recognise the next candidate in order on the party list as elected. The CEC must adopt such a decision no later than the sixth day after receiving the parliamentary resolution.
Who is Mykyta Poturaev?
Mykita Poturaev was born on 4 September 1970 in Dnipro. In 1992, he graduated from the Faculty of Philology at Dnipro National University and holds a PhD in Political Science.
Before entering parliament, he worked in the media and political consultancy. He held senior positions at the Starlight Media media holding company, headed ‘Focus Media’, and served as first deputy chair of the National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting. He also co-founded the non-governmental organisation ‘Quantum Future Lab’, which researched scenarios for Ukraine’s future development.
During the 2019 presidential campaign, Poturaev advised Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s team on political matters. That same year, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the ‘Servant of the People’ party. He initially served as deputy chair of the parliamentary Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy, before taking over as its chair in June 2020.
Poturaev also heads the Ukrainian delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. In 2023, he was elected Vice-President of the Assembly – becoming the first Ukrainian to hold this position. In July 2026, Poturaev was re-elected Vice-President of the OSCE PA.
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