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Ousted Ukrainian defence minister Fedorov calls for wartime elections
Developing
In July last year, Zelensky signed a law placing the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the prosecutor general, an official appointed by the president, stripping them of their independence. Fedorov said Ukraine needs a "safe and realistic mechanism" to hold elections during wartime that protects the voting rights of soldiers, Ukrainians abroad, and people in front-line regions. Surveys and civil society organizations have repeatedly found strong public support for prioritizing national defense and preserving national unity over holding elections during wartime. "We must not let Putin decide when Ukrainians can choose their government," Fedorov said in a video address, adding that democracy is "part of what we are fighting for today. The majority of Ukrainians have expressed no desire to hold elections before a ceasefire is reached, according to recent polls.
L: President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels, Belgium, on June 18, 2026. (Daniel Gnap / NurPhoto / ) R: Mykhailo Fedorov, then-Defense Minister of Ukraine, on June 17, 2026. (Roman Pashkovskiy / Mykhailo Fedorov's team);(Collage: The Kyiv Independent) Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has broken one of Ukraine's most politically sensitive wartime taboos by publicly calling for elections, bringing into the mainstream a debate that Kyiv had largely rejected when raised by Russia and the United States. Fedorov said Ukraine needs a "safe and realistic mechanism" to hold elections during wartime that protects the voting rights of soldiers, Ukrainians abroad, and people in front-line regions
What's confirmed
- In July last year, Zelensky signed a law placing the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the prosecutor general, an official appointed by the presid
What's still developing
- Further court action and how much of the order can take effect remain open.