---
title: "Verkhovna Rada denies rumors of 26-day “holidays”: parliament says work has not stopped"
description: "The Verkhovna Rada’s press service denied rumors of 26-day “holidays,” stating that from 17 September to 13 October deputies continue working in committees and working groups. Some media present the pause in plenary sessions as a break amid a crisis."
date: 2026-09-19T21:52:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/rada-denies-rumors-of-26-day-holidays
tags: [ukraine, verkhovna-rada, parliament, legislative-process, politics]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Verkhovna Rada denies rumors of 26-day “holidays”: parliament says work has not stopped

![Members of the Verkhovna Rada at a session in the plenary hall with Ukrainian and EU flags — parliamentary work continues](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/20/rada-oprovergl-sluhi-o-kanikulakh/rada-oprovergl-sluhi-o-kanikulakh-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- From 17 September to 13 October 2026, no plenary sessions are being held in the Verkhovna Rada — the pause lasts 26 days
- The press service of the Rada Apparatus denied rumors of “holidays,” stating that the work of committees, subcommittees, working groups, and factions has not stopped
- A number of outlets (5-tv.ru, osnmedia.ru) present the same pause as “holidays” and a “break due to a financial crisis,” which conflicts with parliament’s position
- Previously, the Rada announced “Plan B” — a reserve working site in case the building on Hrushevsky Street is destroyed

From 17 September to 13 October 2026, plenary sessions are not being held in the chamber of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine — the total length of the pause is 26 days. This fact has been actively discussed in the media over the past day: some outlets presented the information as deputies going on a “long break” or “holidays,” while others cited a “financial crisis” as the reason for the pause. However, on 20 September the press service of the Verkhovna Rada Apparatus issued an official denial, stating that the legislative body continues to function in full, simply not in the format of chamber sessions. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Ukrinform and the parliament’s press service.

### What is happening in parliament amid the 26-day pause

According to the press service of the Verkhovna Rada Apparatus, the absence of plenary sessions is not equivalent to a halt in parliament’s work. Throughout the entire period from 17 September to 13 October, people’s deputies continue their activities in committees, subcommittees, working groups, and factions. Parliament emphasizes that this work “does not stop for a single day.” Thus, the legislative process — the preparation of bills, expert review, conciliation procedures, work on budgets and sectoral reforms — is carried out in working formats that do not require presence in the chamber.

### Denial of the “holidays”: the press service’s position

The parliament’s press service directly stated that rumors of “holidays” and a “break” are actively spreading in the media space, even though in reality the Verkhovna Rada continues to function. The press service’s wording is explanatory in nature: this is not about the cessation of activities, but about a change of format — from plenary sessions to committee and working-group work. This is standard practice for any parliament in the world, where a plenary session is only one of several forms of a legislative body’s work.

### Contradictory data

Here it is necessary to honestly record a discrepancy in how the information is presented. On the one hand, the press service of the Verkhovna Rada Apparatus categorically denies the very concept of “holidays,” insisting on the continuity of committee and working-group work. On the other hand, a number of outlets — including 5-tv.ru and osnmedia.ru — present the same 26-day pause as “prolonged holidays amid a crisis” and a “break of almost a month due to a financial crisis.” Obozrevatel.com also uses the phrasing “declared a break of a full 26 days.” Thus, the fact of the absence of plenary sessions during the specified period is confirmed by all sources, but its interpretation — “holidays” versus “working mode in committees” — remains a matter of differing readings. The parliament’s press service takes the position that it is incorrect to speak of “holidays,” while some media record precisely the pause in plenary work as a break.

### Context: “Plan B” and the reserve site

Separate mention is deserved by information previously voiced in the Rada about so-called “Plan B” — funds provided in the budget for the arrangement of a reserve working site for parliament in case the main building on Hrushevsky Street in Kyiv is destroyed. This statement, made against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities, underscores that the question of the continuity of the legislative process in Ukraine has not only organizational but also strategic significance. In conditions where the physical building of parliament may become a target, the presence of a reserve working mechanism becomes an element of state resilience.

### What this means for the legislative process

For citizens and business, the key takeaway is that the 26-day pause in plenary sessions does not mean a “freezing” of legislation. Committees continue to consider bills, working groups — to prepare texts, and factions — to shape their positions. However, it is precisely plenary sessions that remain the only format in which final decisions on the adoption of laws, appointments to positions, and votes on the budget are made. Therefore, the 26-day period without plenary work objectively limits the speed of adopting key decisions, even if committee work is proceeding in a normal mode. The next plenary session, according to available data, is scheduled for 13 October 2026.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [In the Verkhovna Rada, it was objected that deputies went on 26-day “holidays”](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/verhovniy-radi-zaperechili-shcho-deputati-1789854513.html) - Основной источник: пресс-служба Аппарата ВР опровергает слухи о каникулах, работа комитетов не останавливается. Период паузы 17.09–13.10 подтверждён.
- [Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada went on prolonged holidays amid a crisis](https://www.5-tv.ru/news/5087435/verhovnaa-rada-ukrainy-usla-nadlitelnye-kanikuly-izza-krizisa/) - Подаёт паузу как «длительные каникулы на фоне кризиса» — противоречит позиции пресс-службы ВР. Факт паузы подтверждён, интерпретация оспаривается.
- [The Rada went on a break of almost a month due to a financial crisis](https://www.osnmedia.ru/politika/rada-ushla-na-pereryv-pochti-na-mesyats-iz-za-finansovogo-krizisa/) - Указывает на «финансовый кризис» как причину перерыва — эта причина не подтверждена пресс-службой ВР и не фигурирует в официальном опровержении.
- [The Verkhovna Rada declared a break of a full 26 days: what is the reason](https://www.obozrevatel.com/politics-news/verhovnaya-rada-obyavila-pereryiv-na-tselyih-26-dnej-v-chem-prichina.htm) - Подтверждает факт 26-дневного перерыва в пленарных заседаниях. Нейтральная подача без акцента на «каникулах».

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Have the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada gone on holiday from 17 September to 13 October 2026?
**A:** The press service of the Verkhovna Rada Apparatus officially denied this phrasing. Plenary sessions in the chamber indeed are not being held during the specified 26-day period, however, according to parliament’s statement, the work of committees, subcommittees, working groups, and factions does not stop for a single day.

### Q: How many days does the pause in plenary sessions last?
**A:** The pause lasts 26 days — from 17 September to 13 October 2026 inclusive. This is confirmed both by the parliament’s press service and by all the media sources reviewed.

### Q: Does legislative work continue during the pause?
**A:** Yes. According to the Rada press service’s statement, deputies continue working in committees, subcommittees, working groups, and factions. The restriction applies precisely to plenary sessions in the chamber, where final decisions on the adoption of laws are made.

### Q: What is the Verkhovna Rada’s “Plan B”?
**A:** Previously, parliament announced that funds provided in the budget are allocated for the arrangement of a reserve working site in case the main building of the Verkhovna Rada on Hrushevsky Street in Kyiv is destroyed.