Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that holding elections during the ongoing war with Russia would "destroy" the country by splitting Ukrainians. His comments come after former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for a wartime election, which analysts say is prohibited by Ukrainian law and would be difficult to hold due to security concerns. According to an Aug. 5 poll, 57% of Ukrainians want elections only after fighting ends, while Zelenskyy's approval rating remains at around 60%. Zelenskyy emphasized his priority is ending the war and preserving Ukraine's independence.
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.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.85, but none of the 1 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 2125: no verified evidence · logged 2026-08-27
Zelenskyy says holding elections during war would 'destroy' Ukraine
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holding → say → Ukraine
Ukrainian president's warning comes after ousted former defence minister urged wartime vote
Holding a wartime election in Ukraine while active fighting with Russia continues would "destroy" the country by splitting Ukrainians, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
asserted
Zelenskyy → come → Ukrainians
His comments, released to reporters on Sunday, were Zelenskyy's first on the subject since ousted former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for a wartime poll, in a bombshell address last week.
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Fedorov → release → address
Fedorov's surprise dismissal last month sparked widespread protests, but supporters calling for his reinstatement later balked at his call for an election — the first such demand by a major Ukrainian political figure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.
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Russia → spark → 2022
"I believe that if we want to destroy the country, then we can move toward elections during this kind of war," Zelenskyy said.
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Zelenskyy → believe → war
Elections in war are prohibited by Ukrainian law.
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Elections → prohibit → law
Analysts also say security concerns and the millions of Ukrainians abroad, under Russian occupation or fighting at the front, mean it would be too difficult to hold an election.
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it → say → election
Elections 'will split Ukraine,' Zelenskyy says
Zelenskyy's approval rating has remained generally stable at about 60 per cent, but pollsters have said that while Ukrainians want fresh faces in politics, many have little appetite for voting now.
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many → split → appetite
An Aug. 5 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 57 per cent of Ukrainians want elections only after fighting ends.
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fighting → find → elections
Echoing his previous comments on the matter, Zelenskyy said a wartime election might be possible if Kyiv's partners could guarantee security, but that no one has proposed such a plan.
uncertain
one → echo → plan
"Elections right now are a tsunami for the state, which will split Ukraine," he said.
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he → split → Ukraine
Zelenskyy vows response to deadly Russian multi-drone attack on shopping centre in central Ukraine
Ex-defence minister's call for a wartime election puts pressure on Ukraine's Zelenskyy
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call → vow → Zelenskyy
"That's why my strategy is to steer the country toward an ending of the war and to preserve an independent and sovereign state."
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strategy → steer → state
Zelenskyy also detailed the rift with his former defence minister, saying he maintains "a very positive attitude" toward Fedorov, a longtime ally who has been seen as the Ukrainian president's top political challenger.
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who → detail → challenger
But I believe that he himself goes, or is pushed, into the wrong things," Zelenskyy said.
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Zelenskyy → believe → things
Fedorov did not explicitly say whether he would stand in any future election.
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he → say → election
A popular minister credited with modernizing Ukraine's armed forces and accelerating the military's embrace of technology and drone warfare, Fedorov was dismissed last month after reportedly falling out with the country's top military commander.
Inaccurate information led to awkward Trump exchange
In his wide-ranging comments on Sunday, Zelenskyy said he had offered Fedorov four different options to continue working in government.
uncertain
he → credit → government
Fedorov, he said, rejected all four proposals.
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he → say → proposals
Zelenskyy also alluded to problematic decisions over defence spending and said inaccurate information provided by the Defence Ministry contributed to an awkward encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump over the use of Starlink in Russia.
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information → allude → Russia
The Ukrainian president said that earlier this year, the ministry had told him that SpaceX had agreed to allow Ukraine to use Starlink over Russian territory to carry out deep strike operations, subject to political approval.
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Ukraine → say → approval
Acting on that, Zelenskyy said, he raised the issue directly with Trump, telling the U.S. president that Musk had confirmed the proposed use.
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Musk → act → use
Zelenskyy said the two sides subsequently sought Musk's confirmation and discussed financing for the project.
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sides → say → project
But at a later meeting, Zelenskyy said Trump told him that Musk had rejected the proposal and accused him of having misled the U.S. president.
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Musk → say → president
Musk considered the move a dangerous escalation, according to Zelenskyy.
uncertain
move → consider → Zelenskyy
"He said that I had supposedly deceived him because Musk had denied Ukraine the use of Starlink on Russian territory.
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Musk → say → territory
I went back to our Ministry of Defence and they said that maybe it was so," he said.
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he → go → Defence
Zelenskyy did not explicitly accuse Fedorov of lying, but he said the episode was among the reasons behind "some of the steps."
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episode → accuse → steps
