Ukraine’s ousted Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for elections to be held despite the country remaining under martial law, arguing that democracy should not become a casualty of Russia’s war.
In a video posted on YouTube, Fedorov said, “Democracy should not be held hostage by Russia,” arguing that Ukraine was fighting to remain a free European country. He called for a “legal, secure and realistic mechanism” that would allow the country to restore a full democratic process even if the war continues.
Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Under Ukrainian law, national elections cannot be held while martial law remains in force, making any election process dependent on a change in the legal and security conditions.
Fedorov, who did not directly mention President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the video, was unexpectedly removed as defence minister in late July, only about six months after taking the post. His dismissal came amid wider political tensions and public criticism of the government.
The former minister also warned of what he described as a “systemic crisis in governance”, saying fear of change and corruption were undermining Ukraine’s war effort. He did not outline a personal political campaign or say whether he intended to run for office.
Fedorov’s intervention comes as the question of elections has become increasingly sensitive in Ukraine. Zelenskyy’s presidential term was due to end in May 2024, but elections were not held because of martial law and the ongoing war. Ukrainian authorities have argued that holding nationwide elections while millions of citizens are displaced and Russian attacks continue would create major security and logistical challenges.
Before becoming defence minister, Fedorov served as Ukraine’s minister of digital transformation and became closely associated with the government’s use of technology in the war.
He played a prominent role in developing Ukraine’s “Army of Drones” initiative and earlier helped establish the so-called IT Army of Ukraine, which brought together technology specialists to support the country during the invasion.
