Archive · 19 Aug 2026
Ousted Ukrainian Defence Minister Challenges Zelenskyy With Wartime Election Call
Mykhailo Fedorov used to be Ukraine’s defence minister.
He was removed from that job after about six months.
On Tuesday, he called for Ukraine to find a safe and legal way to hold elections during the war.
Ukrainian law currently does not allow elections while martial law is active.
Fedorov said Ukraine’s government had a serious crisis and that corruption was hurting the fight against Russia.
He said democracy should not be forgotten because of the war.
Government and opposition lawmakers disagreed, saying elections could make Ukraine weaker.
Some lawmakers also suggested that Fedorov may be trying to regain political influence or his old job.
Mykhailo Fedorov called for a legal, safe and realistic mechanism to hold elections during Russia’s ongoing war.
Fedorov accused Ukraine’s government of systemic governance failures and said corruption had weakened the war effort.
Ukrainian law prohibits elections while martial law is in effect, which began after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Fedorov was unexpectedly removed as defence minister after about six months in office; reports differ on whether the dismissal occurred in July or the previous month.
Government and opposition lawmakers opposed wartime elections, warning they could undermine the war effort and benefit Vladimir Putin.
- Who
- Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Ukrainian lawmakers.
- What
- Fedorov called for a legal mechanism to hold elections during the war and criticized Ukraine’s governance and corruption.
- When
- Fedorov made the call in a nine-minute video address posted on Tuesday evening; reports differ on whether he was dismissed in July or the previous month.
- Where
- The statement was posted on YouTube and concerned Ukraine’s wartime political system.
- Why
- Fedorov said democracy should continue during the war and argued that governance failures and corruption were damaging Ukraine’s ability to fight Russia.
Fedorov’s Election Proposal
Opposition to Wartime Elections
Whether elections should be held
Fedorov’s Election Proposal
Fedorov argued that Ukraine should restore a full democratic process through a legal, safe and realistic mechanism even during a prolonged war.
Opposition to Wartime Elections
Government and opposition lawmakers opposed the proposal, citing concerns that elections during wartime would hamper Ukraine’s war effort.
Effect on national security
Fedorov’s Election Proposal
Fedorov said democracy should not be held hostage by Russia and that Ukraine was fighting to remain a free European state.
Opposition to Wartime Elections
Parliamentary foreign-policy committee chair Oleksandr Merezhko said Vladimir Putin could exploit Ukraine’s vulnerability during an election campaign.
Fedorov’s political motives
Fedorov’s Election Proposal
Fedorov presented the proposal as a response to systemic governance problems, corruption and the need to preserve democracy.
Opposition to Wartime Elections
Some lawmakers suggested the call could be a last-ditch effort to regain influence or pressure Zelenskyy to reappoint him as defence minister.
- Speaker
- Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s recently ousted defence minister
- Main demand
- A legal, safe and realistic mechanism for wartime elections
- Current restriction
- Ukrainian law prohibits elections during martial law
- War context
- Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022
- Government criticism
- Fedorov described a systemic crisis of governance and criticized corruption
- Dismissal
- Fedorov was unexpectedly removed after approximately six months as defence minister; the reports give different timing for the dismissal
- Official response
- Zelenskyy’s office had no immediate comment
