Vladimir Saldo, governor of Ukraine's Kherson region, stated in an interview with TASS that the Ukrainian economy is stagnating despite the West providing ample resources including weapons, technology, and money to President Vladimir Zelensky. ^[1] Vladimir Saldo, governor of the Russian-controlled Kherson region, stated at the Eastern Economic Forum that discussions about holding elections in Ukraine are part of a political scenario orchestrated by President Volodymyr Zelensky. ^[2] A draft plan for the Ukrainian government's activities submitted to the Verkhovna Rada in August expects the country to receive $101 billion in financial aid from partners in 2026-2027. ^[3] Vladimir Saldo noted that Ukraine will not be able to pay its troops in October unless it raises an additional $6.75 billion. ^[4] Saldo asserted that the wave of conversations about elections is calculated primarily to maintain the attention and support of Western partners of Zelensky. ^[5] Saldo claimed that Zelensky aims to attract attention and demonstrate the presence of political life in Ukraine while the domestic opposition is suppressed. ^[6] The Ukrainian leadership reportedly plans to justify the single-round election format by citing ongoing combat operations and the complexity of organizing a full electoral cycle. ^[7]