Ukraine’s fired Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov calls for elections despite war with Russia
Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Demands Vote Amid Ongoing War
Wertynews.com – On Tuesday, Mykhailo Fedorov — the minister dismissed from Ukraine's defense post last month — publicly urged his country to hold elections even as the war with Russia grinds on. Analysts view the move as the first significant challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's grip on power since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Zelenskyy declared martial law at the outset of the conflict, a measure that legally bars any electoral process from taking place while hostilities continue.
A Video Appeal for Democratic Restoration
In a YouTube posting, Fedorov framed the issue in stark terms:
"Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia."
He went on to demand what he described as a "legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process even amidst a prolonged war."
"We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state,"
he added, tying the call for a vote directly to the purpose of the conflict itself.
The Firing and the Backlash
Zelenskyy removed Fedorov from his post in mid-July, attributing the decision to an irreconcilable rift between the minister and Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukraine's top general. The dismissal ignited weeks of demonstrations drawing thousands of citizens from across the country, many of whom voiced sharp criticism of the decision to oust a minister who had enjoyed broad public respect.
Before his removal, Fedorov had been central to architecting Ukraine's asymmetric strategy — one that leaned heavily on drones and robotic systems to offset the numerical advantage of a far larger adversary. Observers credited him with shifting the balance of the war in Kyiv's favor, multiplying deep-strike operations into Russian territory tenfold while simultaneously expanding the country's home-grown weapons stockpile.
What Fedorov Told CBS News
In an exclusive interview with CBS News conducted just days before his public election call, Fedorov interpreted the protest movement as evidence that Ukrainians remain committed to democratic principles and that the nation's struggle is fundamentally one for freedom.
He did not spell out personal ambitions should a vote actually occur, though he has stated on prior occasions that he would re-enter government solely in the capacity of defense minister.
Practical Obstacles to a Wartime Ballot
The former minister conceded that organizing a vote under active combat conditions presents formidable logistical problems — most notably how to guarantee that active-duty soldiers, civilians living close to the front line, and Ukrainians displaced by the war all get to cast ballots.
"This is complex. ... But complexity does not mean impossibility,"
Fedorov concluded.
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