Protesters carry placards as they march during a rally calling for a reform of the defence sector and the reinstatement of the young and tech-savvy defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was sacked a mounth ago, in central Kyiv on August 16, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Serhii Okunev | Afp | Getty Images<\/p>\n
Ukraine’s former defense chief Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections in what many see as the most direct political challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy<\/a> since Russia launched its full-scale invasion<\/a> nearly four-and-a-half years ago.<\/p>\n Fedorov, who was unexpectedly sacked<\/a> last month as part of a government reshuffle, said Tuesday that “democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia,” according to a Reuters translation.<\/p>\n “We must find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to renew its full democratic process even in the conditions of a long war,” Fedorov said. <\/p>\n His comments, which did not mention Zelenskyy by name, were delivered in a more than nine-minute video posted<\/a> to YouTube. Ukrainian law currently prohibits holding elections during wartime. <\/p>\n A former ally of Zelenskyy, Fedorov is widely seen as a popular figure in Ukraine. His dismissal in late July after roughly six months in post prompted protests in major cities across the country. <\/p>\n An advocate of the country’s drone warfare, the 35-year-old has been credited with energizing the defense ministry and spearheading a drive against corruption. <\/p>\n