Ukraine's Ex-Defense Chief Fedorov Challenges Zelensky with Call for Elections

Exactly one month after being forced out as Ukraine's defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov addressed the nation in a nine-minute video, declaring the country's problems are far broader than a single position or ministry. He identified a systemic governance crisis with corruption as its most visible symptom and called for elections to be held even under wartime conditions.

Video Sparks Political Debate

Fedorov, dismissed on July 15 at President Volodymyr Zelensky's initiative, published the video on August 18 on his YouTube channel. He argued that since 2019 no elections had taken place in Ukraine and urged authorities to find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism to hold them despite the ongoing war. Ukraine's constitution prohibits elections while martial law is in effect. Without naming anyone directly, the video displayed images of David Arakhamia — the parliamentary leader of Zelensky's ruling Servant of the People party — when discussing private interests in parliament.

Anti-Corruption Raids Shake Presidential Office

On August 19, a day after Fedorov's video went viral, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) conducted searches at the offices and homes of senior officials. Among those targeted were Iryna Mudra, deputy head of the Presidential Office, and MP Vadym Stolar. Investigators said they had uncovered a criminal organization operating with the involvement of senior Presidential Office staff. Zelensky dismissed Mudra from her post the same day; neither he nor Presidential Office chief Kyrylo Budanov commented publicly. Meanwhile, parliament confirmed Yevheniy Chmara as the new defense minister on August 19.

Polls Show Fedorov Surging

Protests erupted in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia starting July 16, the day after Fedorov's dismissal. According to the Rating polling institute, his approval rating jumped from 35% to 65% in the first week of demonstrations alone, while 72% of Ukrainians opposed his firing. A subsequent survey on August 5–6 placed Fedorov third in presidential rankings with 12.5%, behind Zelensky at 25.2% and former military chief Valery Zaluzhnyi at 16.7%.

Analysts: Political Positioning, Not Open Confrontation

Political analyst Ihor Tchalenko of the Kyiv Centre for Analysis and Strategies said Fedorov is consolidating political capital gained during the protests and positioning himself as an independent actor who could compete with Zelensky. Oleksiy Haran of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy noted that no direct criticism of Zelensky appeared in the video. Vadym Denysenko of Business Capital described the speech as the launch of a broader political game, arguing that an anti-corruption civic coalition had found in Fedorov a political leader. He concluded: In snap elections, Fedorov has a chance to do well. Without elections, he can build his base and continue weakening Zelensky. Experts broadly agree that holding genuine elections requires at minimum a stable ceasefire — something the battlefield situation does not currently allow.