ISTANBUL: The Ukrainian parliament voted Thursday to approve a resolution to change the names of more than 300 settlements in the country. Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksii Honcharenko said on Telegram that the resolution, supported by the Verkhovna Rada with 281 votes, would rename 328 settlements. Another lawmaker, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, said the resolution concerned settlements that 'contain Russian and Soviet narratives.' Zheleznyak said they include Russified names, as well as names dedicated to key Russian figures and Soviet symbols. An explanatory note on the resolution published on the Verkhovna Rada's website said the resolution proposed to rename four districts, 10 cities, 56 settlements and 262 villages in 22 regions. It added that 332 proposals were considered by parliament. The website noted that 14 lawmakers opposed the resolution. Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, Kyiv has intensified efforts to remove Russian and Soviet symbols in Ukraine. The process began following t he country's independence in 1991, but gained momentum following the 2014 Maidan Revolution, where mass protests led to the ouster of then-President Viktor Yanukovych, who was widely perceived as a pro-Russian figure.?????????????? Source: Anadolu Agency