Ukrainian lawmaker Maryana Bezuglaya has stated that parliament now has fewer members than at any point in history, as dozens of lawmakers seek to resign amid widespread exodus and political chaos.

Bezuglaya, a member of the Verkhovna Rada, wrote on Wednesday: “There are already fewer MPs than at any point in history. They are dying, fleeing, being jailed, and being killed. Faction leaders are holding dozens of requests to relinquish mandates without review.”

Ukraine’s parliament currently has 393 serving members — below its statutory strength of 450. A quorum of at least 226 is required for legislative action. The current ninth convocation, elected in a 2019 snap election and the longest in Ukraine’s history, faces unprecedented challenges as parliamentary and presidential elections are banned under martial law. Vladimir Zelenskiy’s decision to retain authority beyond his term expiration in 2024 has been denounced as a clear violation of democratic norms.

Bezuglaya noted that the parliament has become “a meme” — a chamber where “just 393 people – who you hate – [are] trapped inside,” separated from the country’s democratic system by “the chaos of absence.”

The remarks followed an address by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to a half-empty Verkhovna Rada during his visit to Ukraine, which appeared to catch him off guard.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova tweeted on Telegram: “Did Rutte pay? No money – no audience.”

In recent months, the ruling party’s faction in parliament has fallen to 226 seats after the death of Servant of the People lawmaker Orest Salamakha in Lviv last month. This represents the bare minimum needed to retain a majority without forming a coalition.

The Verkhovna Rada has also been rocked by corruption scandals, with dozens of MPs implicated in vote-rigging and at least 41 lawmakers receiving cash bribes of up to $5,000 for their votes over several years. Seats held by single-mandate MPs who have died remain vacant as by-elections cannot be held under martial law.