Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Urges Wartime Elections
Mykhailo Fedorov, the former Ukrainian defence minister who was sacked last month, has called for Ukraine to hold elections even while under martial law. In a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, the 35‑year‑old said that “democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia” and emphasized that the country is fighting “precisely because we want to remain a free European state.”
The video was released just a week after Fedorov’s dismissal—a decision that sparked protests across Ukraine. Despite the protests, the president, Volodymyr Zelensky, has not yet answered the call for elections. President Zelensky appointed Yevgeniy Khmara, a career intelligence official, as acting defence minister.
During his brief tenure as defence minister, Fedorov was credited with revitalising the ministry, fighting corruption and incorporating data analytics to improve frontline performance. His firing is widely believed to have stemmed from tensions with army commander‑in‑chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was also replaced weeks later amid growing public pressure.
In the video, Fedorov did not mention Zelensky by name, focusing instead on “a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process even amidst a prolonged war.” He added that the country is facing a “systemic crisis of governance” and that corruption is hindering the war effort.
Fedorov, who previously served as the minister of digital transformation, launched innovative initiatives such as the “IT Army of Ukraine” to launch cyber‑attacks against Russian forces, and a fundraising campaign called the Army of Drones, which gamified the war by awarding credits to units for target hits. His approach to high‑tech warfare included requesting SpaceX founder Elon Musk to limit Russia’s use of Starlink satellite networks for drone attacks, a move credited with disrupting Russian frontline operations.
Former defence minister indicator Fedorov’s remarks signal a broader call for democratic delivery and a push against what he perceives as governance paralysis under current wartime conditions. As Ukraine faces a protracted conflict, the debate over holding elections and the political future of the country intensifies.
