Mykolaiv deputies partially gathered for offline session for the first time — Sienkevych suggested holding meetings in a hybrid format

Mykolaiv City Council meets for an offline session. Photo: NikVesti

For the first time since 24 February 2022, the Mykolaiv City Council partially met for an offline session. Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych offered the deputies a hybrid format of work, like their colleagues in Dnipro.

He said this before the start of the session, which is taking place today, 30 October, according to NikVesti.

The mayor addressed the deputies with a proposal to those who are ready and able to join the offline sessions. For this purpose, the city council has prepared the necessary security conditions. In the event of an air raid alert, the deputies will be able to go down to the shelters.

Mykolaiv City Council gathered for an offline session. Photo: «_nikvesti»

Mykolaiv City Council gathered for an offline session. Photo: «NikVesti»

Mykolaiv City Council gathered for an offline session. Photo: «NikVesti»

«Holding sessions in a hybrid format, as the city of Dnipro does, for example, where some people can join in. Or those who are worried about their own life and health and go online from their means of communication, they will join us via zoom. Anyone who wants to work here, we will provide all the conditions. If the alarm is activated, we have two options. The first option is to interrupt the session and go down to the shelter. During the war, we made repairs. Otherwise, we have the head of the regional military administration with us, he is also a deputy of the city council, Vitalii Kim, and he will give us information from the military that the threat to the city itself is minimal, so we can make a decision with you to continue the session during the air raid. It will be a vote. If it gets a majority of votes, we decide to stay and work. If there is a danger, we will go down to the shelter anyway. To go down to the shelter, you just need to go down the stairs to the minus one and minus two floors. You can also take the lift. I am glad to see you all,» he said.

Mykolaiv City Council gathered for an offline session. Photo: «NikVesti.»

Mykolaiv City Council gathered for an offline session. Photo: «NikVesti»

As of 12:02 a.m., an air alert has been declared in Mykolaiv region. The mayor put to a vote the issue of continuing to work and not going into shelters.

«According to our information, Mykolaiv is not in danger,» said Oleksandr Sienkevych.

The deputy corps supported the continuation of work at the site.

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Later, however, MP Olena Kiseiova addressed the mayor and asked him not to put the issue to a vote anymore, as it should be decided by the chairman. But the mayor disagreed with her and addressed the audience so that everyone who was concerned about their safety could go down to the shelter without hindrance.

It should be noted that before the session, it became known that Vladyslav Chaika, a deputy of the Mykolaiv City Council elected from the banned party «Opposition Platform «For Life», said that he had not been warned about the offline session of the City Council.

As a reminder, the sessions of Mykolaiv city and regional councils are currently held online. Over the past four years, members of the regional council have met offline only a few times, including in November 2024, May 2025, and October 2025.

The mayor of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, believes that holding sessions online has not affected the work of the city council. Recently, it became known that the city council has not shown the faces of its deputies for two months as a confirmation of their personal presence at the meetings of the sessions, which have been held via video conferencing for four years.

Following this, Ukrainian blogger and author of the telegram channel «Lachen writes» Ihor Lachenkov called on Mykolaiv Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych to hold a city council meeting offline.