Former defense chief Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections in what is widely regarded as the most direct political challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly four and a half years ago, according to CNBC.
Former Defense Chief Fedorov Calls for Wartime Elections
Fedorov delivered his remarks in a more than nine-minute video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, stating that democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia.
He added, We must find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to renew its full democratic process even in the conditions of a long war.
Ukrainian law currently prohibits holding elections during wartime, and martial law has suspended voting since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Zelenskyy’s five-year term officially ended in May 2024.
Dismissal, Protests, and New Defense Nomination
Fedorov’s video statement came just hours after Reuters reported that Zelenskyy confirmed he had asked parliament to confirm Yevhen Khmara—also referred to as Yevhenii Khmara—as Ukraine’s new defense minister for Wednesday, a move that effectively closed the door on any potential comeback for Fedorov. Fedorov was unexpectedly sacked in late July as part of a government reshuffle after serving roughly six months in the post. His dismissal exposed deeper rifts over Ukraine’s war strategy and followed his public criticism of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The 35-year-old former minister’s departure triggered a wave of protests in major cities across the country, with nightly demonstrations taking place in a square below the presidential office in Kyiv. Following dwindling attendance, a special rally on Sunday night attracted about 2,000 people chanting his name. The Guardian noted that Fedorov previously served as Ukraine’s digital minister from 2019 until January, during which he spearheaded the country’s wartime adoption of drone warfare.
Governance Crisis and Political Landscape
In his address, Fedorov condemned official corruption for hurting the war effort and warned of a systemic crisis of governance.
He criticized institutional resistance to change, stating, It is particularly dangerous when society develops the feeling that the main criterion for an appointment is not professionalism, results or the ability to transform the country, but personal loyalty to the system.
Polling conducted at the turn of the month by the Socis Centre for Social Research indicated that Fedorov would come third in the first round of a presidential election with 13.1%, trailing Zelenskyy at 22.3% and former armed forces head Valerii Zaluzhnyi at 21.4%. However, the same polling concluded that Zelenskyy would be defeated in a run-off election by both Fedorov and Zaluzhnyi. While Fedorov did not explicitly state in his address whether he would compete, analysts and observers have weighed the practical challenges of holding a vote.
Ukrainian political analyst Artem Bronzhukov questioned the practicality of an election given ongoing Russian bombing, noting that safety cannot be guaranteed during a full-scale war. Additional logistical hurdles include millions of exiled and displaced citizens, more than one million personnel serving in the armed forces, and approximately one-fifth of the country’s territory remaining under Russian occupation.
