Ousted Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has issued the most direct political challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the 2022 invasion by calling for wartime elections. Fedorov argues that democracy must not be held hostage by Russia, pointing to a systemic crisis of governance and corruption. The challenge comes as Zelenskyy's office faces a major anti-corruption probe, resulting in the dismissal of deputy head Iryna Mudra, while parliament has confirmed Yevhenii Khmara as the new defense minister.
Fedorov's call for wartime elections
- ▪Mykhailo Fedorov stated that Ukraine faces a systemic crisis of governance and condemned official corruption for undermining the country's war effort.
- ▪Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for wartime elections in a nine-minute video address posted to YouTube on August 18, 2026.
- ▪Mykhailo Fedorov argued that democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia and that Ukraine must find a legal, safe, and realistic mechanism to restore its full democratic process.
Zelenskyy's dismissal of Fedorov
- ▪The Ukrainian parliament confirmed acting defense minister Yevhenii Khmara as the permanent defense minister on August 19, 2026, following his formal nomination by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- ▪The dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov in July 2026 triggered ongoing public protests in major Ukrainian cities, including a rally of about 2,000 people in Kyiv on August 16, 2026.
- ▪President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unexpectedly dismissed Mykhailo Fedorov as Ukraine's defense minister in July 2026 after roughly six months in office.
Anti-corruption investigation of presidential office
- ▪President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Iryna Mudra from her position as deputy head of the Office of the President on August 19, 2026, amid reports that her home was searched by anti-corruption investigators.
- ▪Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies suspect the targeted group of laundering 150 million hryvnias, equivalent to approximately $3.35 million, to pay for bail in an energy corruption scheme.
- ▪Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office launched a special operation on August 19, 2026, targeting senior officials in the presidential office and members of parliament.
Constitutional constraints on wartime elections
- ▪Holding elections in Ukraine is logistically challenged by ongoing Russian missile and drone bombardments, the displacement of millions of citizens abroad, and the deployment of over one million personnel on the frontlines.
- ▪Ukrainian law and the country's constitution prohibit holding national elections while the state is under martial law, which has been in place since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Political challenge to Zelenskyy's leadership
- ▪Ukrainian member of parliament Oleksandr Merezhko opposed the call for elections, stating that a wartime campaign would weaken national unity and play into the hands of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- ▪A poll conducted by the Socis Centre for Social Research at the turn of August 2026 indicated that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would be defeated in a run-off election by both Mykhailo Fedorov and Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
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