Sacked Ukraine defence minister calls for wartime election
The poll would represent the first leadership challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia invaded in 2022, with the ousted defence minister claiming Ukraine faces a "crisis of governance".
Ukraine's former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for an election in Ukraine, citing a "crisis of governance." Despite wartime elections being prohibited in the country, this marks the first demand of its kind and the first leadership challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia's invasion in 2022. Fedorov, who previously served as Zelenskyy's ally, was sacked from his position in July, leading to protests demanding his dismissal and that of the armed forces' commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The 35-year-old defense minister argued that Ukraine must find a legal, safe, and realistic way to restore its democratic process amidst the ongoing war. He emphasized that the current system often prioritizes itself over change and the people's well-being. Fedorov's stance follows recent polls suggesting he could potentially defeat Zelenskyy in a runoff vote.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
