Ukraine’s recently ousted defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, has called for the country to hold elections despite the ongoing war with Russia, in a move that could represent the biggest internal political challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Fedorov made the call in a video address on Tuesday, arguing that Ukraine must restore its democratic processes even while the war continues.
“Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia,” Fedorov said, urging the government to develop a legal and secure mechanism for holding elections during wartime.
Ukraine’s current law prohibits elections while the country is under martial law, which has remained in place since Russia launched its full scale invasion in February 2022.
Fedorov, 35, was a longtime ally of Zelenskiy before his unexpected removal as defence minister in July, just six months after taking the position. He had pledged to introduce sweeping reforms to the ministry.
In his address, Fedorov accused Ukraine’s political system of suffering from a “systemic crisis of governance”, saying entrenched structures were resistant to change.
He also criticised corruption among officials, arguing that it was undermining the country’s war effort.
Fedorov has previously suggested that his efforts to reform defence procurement, which oversees billions of dollars in military spending, contributed to his dismissal.
His call for elections marks an unprecedented public challenge from a major Ukrainian political figure since the beginning of Russia’s full scale invasion.
Zelenskiy’s office had not immediately commented on Fedorov’s remarks.
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