Ukraine’s former defence minister Fedorov calls for wartime presidential election
Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has urged the country to hold a presidential election during the war, challenging the continued suspension of voting under martial law.
In short
- Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has urged the country to hold a presidential election during the war, challenging the continued suspension of voting under martial law.
Ukraine’s recently dismissed defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, has called for a presidential election while the country remains at war, mounting the clearest political challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
In a video address released late on Tuesday, August 18, Fedorov argued that Ukraine should restore a full democratic process despite the continuing conflict. He said the country could both defend itself and organise a national vote, while criticising opaque decision-making and what he described as a system that can appear to reward personal loyalty over professional results.
Ukraine suspended elections after imposing martial law at the start of the invasion. Zelenskyy’s five-year term expired in May 2024, but voting has remained on hold as fighting continues, millions of Ukrainians remain displaced or abroad, more than one million people serve in the armed forces and roughly a fifth of the country is under Russian occupation.
Fedorov, 35, served as digital transformation minister from 2019 and became closely associated with Ukraine’s wartime use of drones. He moved to the defence portfolio in January 2026 but was removed during a government reshuffle in July after a reported dispute with military commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
His dismissal prompted street demonstrations in Kyiv. Although attendance at nightly protests later declined, a rally on Sunday drew about 2,000 people and included chants in support of Fedorov.
Zelenskyy on Tuesday formally nominated acting defence minister Yevhen Khmara to take the post permanently. Parliament is expected to vote on the nomination on Wednesday, August 19.
The practical barriers to an election remain substantial. Ukrainian political analyst Artem Bronzhukov questioned how voters could be kept safe while Russian attacks continue. He also said there is an established view in Ukrainian society that elections are necessary, but should take place after the most intense phase of the war ends.
Polling conducted around the beginning of August placed Fedorov third in a hypothetical first-round presidential contest, behind Zelenskyy and former armed forces chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi. The same survey suggested either Fedorov or Zaluzhnyi could defeat Zelenskyy in a second-round runoff. No election has been scheduled.
