Because of the Russian invasion, ukraine’s popular ex-Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, sacked last month, on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) called for a move towards elections that have been put off.
Mr.
“Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia,” Mr. Fedorov said in a video posted to YouTube. Fedorov said Ukraine must find a “legal, safe, and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process even amidst a prolonged war”.
He did not indicate his political plans in the video, though Mr. Fedorov has repeatedly stated that he would return to government only as Defence Minister. Mr. Zelensky has since appointed Yevgeniy Khmara, a career intelligence official with a low political profile, as acting Defence Minister pending a vote in parliament. Another demonstration in support of Mr.
Fedorov is scheduled outside parliament on Wednesday morning (August 19, 2026), according to his former adviser and key backer Sergiy Sternenko.
The ex-Defence Minister acknowledged the obstacles to holding a vote during the war, including how to ensure soldiers, people living near the front line and millions of Ukrainians abroad can cast ballots. Appointed Defence Minister in January, Mr. Fedorov tried to reform a military hit by scandals over corruption, equipment shortages, absenteeism, the treatment of conscripts and an unpopular mobilisation drive.
