Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for elections during the war, escalating a public dispute with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government. Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine needs a legal mechanism to restore elections and alleged that corruption is weakening the war effort. Fedorov released a video address calling for a legal, safe and realistic mechanism to hold elections during the prolonged war.
Ukrainian law prohibits elections while martial law remains in effect; martial law began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Fedorov was removed as defense minister in July after leading an overhaul of a procurement system responsible for billions in equipment purchases. The immediate fact is a political rupture, not an election announcement. Ukraine's statutory ban remains in force, and Fedorov offered a demand for a mechanism rather than a completed constitutional or logistical plan.
He alleged systemic governance failure and wartime corruption without naming specific officials or presenting new documentary evidence in the address. Zelenskyy's office did not immediately respond, while parliament received the president's nomination of Yevhenii Khmara as the next defense minister. Weekend protests backing Fedorov have continued to draw thousands in Kyiv after his dismissal. The procurement dispute adds context but does not prove why he was dismissed. His explanation and corruption criticism are attributable claims, while the timing of his removal, the new nomination and the continuing demonstrations are independently reportable events.
Zelenskyy's normal electoral mandate has been extended under wartime law rather than renewed through voting. Running an election during invasion would require decisions about soldiers, displaced citizens, occupied territory, campaigning and physical security.
Fedorov had been a loyal and prominent member of Zelenskyy's team, giving his break with the government unusual political weight. The current evidentiary limit is that fedorov's corruption claims were broad and unproven in the address, and no election mechanism or timetable had been introduced in parliament.
The next factual record will come from Zelenskyy's response and the Khmara confirmation process and any legislation defining wartime voting and participation. Until those records appear, the account remains bounded by the cited reporting, measurements and explicitly attributed statements.