Odesa may get military administration: Zelensky will consider the petition
2 October 08:47
The public debate over the creation of the Odesa City Military Administration (MVA) is gaining momentum in Ukraine. An electronic petition to the President of Ukraine has already been signed by more than 25,000 citizens, which ensures that the head of state will consider the appeal, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The petition was registered on September 24, 2025, and was initiated by Ivan Kazachuk.
The author of the document emphasizes that Odesa is of strategic importance as a major transport, port, and logistics center in southern Ukraine, which is located in close proximity to the war zone.
The petition states that the effective and continuous functioning of the city’s authorities is a matter of national security. Therefore, the initiator asks the President to establish a military administration for the stable management of the territory under martial law.
“We ask you, dear Mr. President, to use the powers granted by the Constitution and laws of Ukraine and consider the establishment of the Odesa City Military Administration to ensure the continuous functioning of the authorities in the city of Odesa,” the appeal reads.
Legal grounds
The petition is based on Articles 4 and 11 of the Law of Ukraine “On the Legal Regime of Martial Law”, which give the President the right to establish military administrations in communities where local governments do not fulfill or improperly fulfill their powers, or there is a threat to their functioning.
Similar decisions have previously been made in relation to Berdiansk, Sumy and settlements in Kherson region, where the respective military administrations operate.
Legislative initiatives
In parallel, the Verkhovna Rada recently registered a bill that proposes to expand the powers of the heads of military administrations in the personnel sphere. The document allows them to early terminate the powers and dismiss local government officials during martial law, and simplifies the procedures for governance in the temporarily occupied territories.
What’s next
After the petition passes the threshold of 25,000 signatures, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy must provide an official response – support the initiative, reject it, or entrust its consideration to the relevant state authorities.
