Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected calls for wartime elections, saying it would "destroy" Ukraine. Ousted Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who made the call last week, responded by stating that democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. According to Zelensky, holding elections during a war would pose a significant risk and potentially split the country. The Ukrainian president has indicated he might consider fresh elections under specific conditions, including the participation of the military in frontline territories and abroad.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-24,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office is being investigated for corruption by Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies, who are probing a criminal organization allegedly led by a sitting and former lawmaker, involving senior officials from the presidential office and other individuals. This comes a day after Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's recently fired defense minister, called for national elections in a video address posted to YouTube, despite the ongoing war with Russia. Fedorov's ouster had sparked weeks of protests across the country, criticizing the removal of the widely respected minister. The investigation is an unwelcome distraction for Zelenskyy as Ukraine's war with its bigger neighbor extends into its fifth year.
Fedorov, 35, who was credited with turning the tide of the war in Ukraine, had helped design the country's strategy to bring an end to the conflict by using drones and robots. His removal had sent thousands of protesters onto the streets in rare wartime protests demanding that Zelenskyy reinstate him.
The investigation into Zelenskyy's office is being conducted by Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, who are conducting an operation to expose a criminal organization allegedly led by a sitting and former lawmaker. Further details would be released later, according to their joint statement.
Zelenskyy made no public comment on the investigation but issued a decree dismissing Iryna Mudra from the position of deputy head of the president's office. The investigation is seen as a significant development in Ukraine's ongoing battle against corruption and comes at a time when Zelenskyy is facing pressure to hold wartime elections, which are prohibited during martial law under Ukraine's constitution.
Fedorov had called for a "legal, safe and realistic mechanism" that would allow Ukraine to renew its full democratic process even in the conditions of a long war. His statement was seen as a direct challenge to Zelenskyy, who has refused to hold elections in wartime, citing the need for a ceasefire with Russia and necessary security guarantees.
The situation is complex and politically charged, with some observers saying that elections are not feasible at this moment, while others argue that Ukraine needs democratic reforms to continue its fight against corruption and Russian aggression.
Written for “Ukraine Ongoing Government Crisis” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 14 other(s) covering the same event.
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Leaning score +0.85 for article 2012 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-08-28
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday rejected calls for wartime elections, saying the move would "destroy the country."
asserted
move → reject → country
Under martial law, elections have been suspended since Russia invaded the country in 2022.
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Russia → suspend → 2022
Last week, ousted Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called on the president, whose five-year term ended in 2024, to allow Ukrainians to vote again.
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Ukrainians → oust → 2024
Responding to Fedorov for the first time, Zelenky said such a move would split the country.
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move → respond → country
"I believe that if we want to destroy the country, then during such a war we can move in the selection of elections," Zelensky told reporters on Saturday.
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Zelensky → believe → Saturday
"I believe that during such a war, elections in general are big risks," the president added.
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president → believe → war
"Elections right now are a tsunami for the state that will split Ukraine."
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that → split → Ukraine
Zelensky said he would consider fresh elections under "specific conditions," the Guardian reported.
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Guardian → say → conditions
Those conditions include the "participation of the military, in frontline territories, abroad, where millions of our citizens have gone, fleeing the war," the president said.
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president → include → war
Fedorov's removal as defense minister in July sparked protests across Ukraine.
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removal → spark → Ukraine
On Tuesday, he said democracy was not a "peacetime luxury.
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democracy → say → Tuesday
"
"Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," Fedorov said.
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Fedorov → hold → Russia
"We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state.
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we → fight → ?
"Therefore, we must find a legal, safe, and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process even amidst a prolonged war."
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Ukraine → find → war
Responding to Zelensky's comments on Sunday, Fedorov told the BBC, "Democracy should not be the hostage of Putin."
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Democracy → respond → Putin
Zelensky last discussed open elections in December, after U.S. President Donald Trump accused him of using the war as an excuse to stay in power.
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Trump → discuss → power
Back then, the Ukrainian president said he would hold elections so long as he could secure help from the United States and other allies to keep citizens safe when they go out to vote.
uncertain
they → say → citizens
