Mass illness hits Ukrainian parliament, dozens of lawmakers affected

A large number of lawmakers in Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada have fallen ill, causing today’s parliamentary session to be sparsely attended.

According to Halyna Tretiakova, a People's Deputy from the "Servant of the People" faction, at least 38 MPs are sick, with some requiring medical treatment, including intravenous therapy. Tretiakova noted that staff in the parliament building, including cleaners and cafeteria personnel, remain healthy, raising questions about the nature of the outbreak.

“The Rada’s press service issued a brief statement of explanation, no investigation has been conducted and the consequences remain unclear. If this is rotavirus, then why are the relatives of the sick MPs healthy? Judging by Telegram channels, someone very much wants to damage the reputation of the legislative body, which continues its work regardless. Attempts to undermine the reputation of MPs have been ongoing throughout all 34 years of independence,” Tretiakova wrote.

Despite the widespread illness, the session continued with the remaining healthy MPs listening to ministers’ reports. 

By Vugar Khalilov