Riga stripped a lawmaker of his seat after he traveled to Belarus
The Riga City Council stripped MP Oleksiy Roslykov of his seat after he left Latvia and traveled to Belarus. The decision was made due to his de facto absence from the council’s work, although the politician attempted to participate in sessions online from time to time, according to the publication Delfi.
This is a story that has been unfolding for months and involves political scandals, criminal proceedings, and fleeing the country, as a case has been opened against Roslykov in Latvia for inciting ethnic hatred, and after his departure, the court even issued an arrest warrant in absentia and placed him on the wanted list.
In Latvia, a criminal case was opened against the former leader of the “Stability!” party over his speech in parliament, in which he said, “There are more of us, and Russian is our language,” which became the basis for charges of inciting hatred.
After leaving the country, the politician reappeared from Minsk in April 2026, posting a video on social media, and stated in an interview that he does not plan to return anytime soon. “As long as I am here in Belarus, I will work from here and continue to express my position. Well, we’ll see what happens next,” he said in a conversation with journalists.
The Riga City Council’s decision effectively ends his tenure as a city council member, while legal proceedings involving the politician continue.
Kyiv is currently saving only 7% of the electricity needed during peak hours, out of the 30% required. To prevent rolling blackouts, the use of energy-intensive appliances must be restricted during peak hours, the city’s military administration reported.
On October 20, electricity supply restrictions will be introduced throughout Ukraine, Deputy Head of the President’s Office Kirilo Tymoshenko announced during a telethon.
The reason for the restrictions is a power shortage in the grid.
