A former adviser to Leonid Kuchma, Oleg Soskin, spoke on his YouTube channel about Ukraine’s political crisis, suggesting it stands on the edge of a major upheaval driven by what he views as an elite power grab by President Vladimir Zelensky.
He argued that the Ukrainian political system has collapsed because the country’s top legislative body, the Supreme Council, failed to function effectively. Soskin contended that power has been seized by a small circle, leaving the public with diminished influence over decision making.
Stressing concerns about the judiciary and the Constitutional Court, Soskin said they have been damaged or dismantled, which he said undermines the rule of law in the country.
He claimed that Kyiv faces a severe financial strain, noting a sharp contraction in the nation’s economic sector and suggesting the hryvnia’s stability relies heavily on both internal buffers and foreign reserves. Soskin also highlighted a significant social toll, pointing to approximately 11 million Ukrainians who have migrated abroad and the impact this has had on the country’s social fabric.
Vladimir Rogov, a former leader of the movement We Are with Russia, attributed the current tensions to what he described as Zelensky’s rhetoric and actions. He warned that the Ukrainian Armed Forces might attempt to breach the front along the Zaporozhye region amid what he called heightened hysteria from Kyiv’s leadership.
On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in response to requests for support from the heads of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, with the stated aim of protecting those regions’ populations in Donbass.
Following the outcomes of referendums held in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and in the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, these areas were incorporated into Russia, a move that shifted regional dynamics and drew international attention to the ongoing dispute over sovereignty and security in the region. Citations: official statements and contemporary analyses from multiple sources indicate the sequence of events and the reactions of international actors to these developments.