Dismissed Ukraine Defence Minister Calls for Wartime Election

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's recently dismissed defence minister, has publicly demanded that the country hold a presidential election despite the ongoing war with Russia — marking the most direct challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's authority since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The former minister's call came in a nine-minute video address released online Tuesday evening, according to The Guardian World.

A Direct Challenge Without Naming Names

Fedorov, 35, stopped short of naming Zelenskyy directly, but the target of his criticism was clear. He argued that Ukraine must "restore a full democratic process even amid a prolonged war" and warned of the risks of a political culture in which loyalty to those in power outweighs competence. "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," he said.

He also suggested that corruption and opaque decision-making were undermining public confidence in the government, framing the case for elections as inseparable from Ukraine's broader democratic identity. "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state," Fedorov said.

From Digital Pioneer to Political Outsider

Fedorov built a significant profile as Ukraine's digital minister from 2019, overseeing the country's rapid wartime expansion of drone capabilities before briefly serving as defence minister — a tenure widely viewed as effective. His abrupt removal by Zelenskyy in a July government reshuffle, reportedly stemming from a conflict with military commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi, was followed by street protests in Kyiv. Syrskyi was subsequently sacked, but Fedorov was not reinstated.

On Tuesday, Zelenskyy formally put forward Yevhen Khmara, the acting defence minister, as a permanent nominee for the role. A parliamentary vote on his confirmation was expected Wednesday.

Elections on Hold — But the Question Is Growing

Marital law, imposed at the outset of the invasion, suspended elections across Ukraine. Zelenskyy's presidential term formally expired in May 2024, but there has been broad political consensus inside the country that a wartime vote would be impractical. The logistical obstacles are considerable: millions of Ukrainians are displaced or in exile, more than one million are serving in the armed forces, and roughly a fifth of Ukrainian territory remains under Russian occupation.

Ukrainian political analyst Artem Bronzhukov acknowledged that public sentiment broadly supports elections — but only once active combat subsides. "Today there is no clear understanding of how to ensure people's safety in the context of a full-scale war," he said, while noting that ongoing protests themselves demonstrated Ukraine's democratic character.

Donald Trump has previously pressed Ukraine to hold a vote, though as his relationship with Zelenskyy has stabilised over recent months, that pressure has receded. Ukraine's battlefield resilience has also shifted the diplomatic dynamic between Kyiv and Washington.

What the Polls Say

Survey data from the Socis Centre for Social Research, conducted at the end of last month, offered a striking snapshot. In a hypothetical first-round vote, Zelenskyy leads with 22.3 percent, followed closely by former armed forces commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi — now Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom — at 21.4 percent. Fedorov comes third at 13.1 percent.

However, the same polling found that in a two-round runoff — the system Ukraine uses — Zelenskyy would lose to both Fedorov and Zaluzhnyi. That finding will do little to dampen the pressure on the president at a time when Russian strikes continue to inflict civilian casualties and the political atmosphere in Kyiv remains volatile.

Protest rallies beneath the presidential office have drawn smaller crowds in recent weeks, though a Sunday night event attracted approximately 2,000 demonstrators chanting Fedorov's name. Whether the movement sustains momentum — and whether Fedorov transitions from critic to candidate — remains to be seen.

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