Ukraine’s former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to hold elections while the war with Russia continues. The appeal came in a video address published on YouTube on August 18, 2026.
According to DR, Fedorov urged Zelenskyy to find a legal and safe way to resume the democratic process. He acknowledged that a wartime vote would be difficult, but said it would not be impossible.
In the address, Fedorov said democracy is not a luxury belonging only to peacetime. He also said democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia, and that any vote must be fair to soldiers at the front and to the millions of Ukrainians living abroad.
Reuters describes the speech as the first public call by a prominent Ukrainian politician for elections since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. The agency calls it the biggest internal challenge to Zelenskyy since the invasion, and notes that Ukrainian law bars elections under martial law, in force since February 2022.
DR reports that under the common interpretation of Article 83 of Ukraine’s constitution, the sitting government remains in office until the state of emergency ends. Open questions also include how to hold safe voting under daily attacks, and how to handle voters in Russian-controlled areas of Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
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The Kyiv Independent reports that Fedorov called for a mechanism protecting the voting rights of military personnel, Ukrainians abroad and residents of front-line regions. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin should not be allowed to decide when Ukrainians choose their government.
Bloomberg writes that the late-night video strongly hinted at political ambitions. Fedorov, 35, did not say whether he will run or whom he would support, DR notes. Ukraine’s most recent presidential election was in 2019, when Zelenskyy won with 75 percent of the vote.
Protests continue a month after his dismissal
Fedorov was dismissed as defense minister in July 2026, which triggered sustained street protests in Kyiv. Reuters reported that thousands rallied on the capital’s main street on July 31 to demand his reinstatement. Forbes wrote on August 17 that the demonstrations have entered a second month.
Reuters reports that Fedorov framed his address as a response to what he described as a systemic crisis of governance, citing corruption and resistance to reform. The agency also refers to opinion polling indicating he could defeat Zelenskyy in a runoff.
DR reports that Fedorov is credited with much of Ukraine’s development and use of drones in the war. After the protests, armed forces chief Oleksandr Syrskyi was also dismissed, and Zelenskyy offered Fedorov a new post responsible for technology, which he declined.
Zelenskyy has not publicly commented on the call for elections, according to DR and Reuters.
