Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was dismissed in July, published a video address arguing that Ukraine must not let Russia dictate when Ukrainians can vote again. 'If the war continues for another year, two, three, can Russia actually get the right to determine when Ukrainians can again choose their government? I am convinced that no. Democracy cannot be a hostage of Russia,' he said, according to multiple outlets.
Fedorov acknowledged the difficulty of holding elections, citing the need to ensure voting rights for soldiers, millions of Ukrainians abroad, and people in frontline regions, as well as the security of the electoral process. But complexity, he argued, 'does not mean impossibility': 'Ukraine has already done many things that the world considered impossible. We can find a solution in this situation too, because democracy is not a luxury of peacetime, democracy is part of what we are fighting for today.'
In the address, Fedorov also criticized Ukraine's governance system without naming individuals, citing a 'systemic crisis of management,' corruption, and lack of transparency. 'Why do decisions that are needed at the front today spend months going through offices? And it is especially dangerous when society gets the feeling that the main criterion for appointing a person is not their professionalism, not results, and not the ability to change the country, but their personal loyalty to the system,' he said, as quoted by BBC. On corruption, Fedorov said that during war, stolen money is 'a drone that was not bought, ammunition that did not arrive, an electronic warfare system that did not exist, a vehicle that did not evacuate the wounded.'
The address came shortly after President Volodymyr Zelensky submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a proposal to appoint Yevhen Khmar, who had been acting defense minister since Fedorov's dismissal, as the permanent minister. Fedorov said the country 'cannot remain without a fully appointed defense minister. This is abnormal.'
Fedorov, 35, led the Defense Ministry from January 2026 until his dismissal in mid-July after six months in office. His removal was reportedly due to a conflict with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, who had pushed for his ouster. Mass protests in Kyiv, Lviv, and other cities followed Fedorov's dismissal, leading to Syrsky's removal. Mykhailo Drapatyi was appointed as the new commander-in-chief.
Ukraine's last national elections were held in 2019. Current law bans presidential, parliamentary, and local elections during martial law, which has been in effect since February 2022. The issue of elections has also been raised in the United States.