Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for elections to be held during wartime, in what many see as the most significant challenge to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the BBC reports.
“Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia,” the 35-year-old Fedorov said in a video posted on YouTube on Tuesday, adding that Ukraine is fighting “precisely because we want to remain a free European state.”
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has remained under martial law, meaning elections have been suspended.
Fedorov, who did not mention Zelensky by name in the video, was unexpectedly dismissed as defense minister at the end of July, just six months after taking office.
Zelensky has not yet responded to Fedorov’s video. His dismissal triggered protests across Ukraine.
During his tenure as defense minister, Fedorov was credited with revitalizing the ministry, leading an anti-corruption campaign and using data to analyze and improve performance on the battlefield.
His dismissal is widely believed to have been linked to tensions between him and Ukraine’s army chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi. Syrskyi was also replaced several weeks later, as weeks of protests increased pressure on the Ukrainian president.
