{
  "id": 2787950,
  "title": "Wartime elections would 'destroy' Ukraine, says Zelensky",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/wartime-elections-would-destroy-ukraine-says-zelensky",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-23T12:30:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "France 24",
    "slug": "france-24",
    "url": "https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260823-wartime-elections-would-destroy-ukraine-says-zelensky"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that holding elections during the ongoing war with Russia would be detrimental to the country. According to Zelensky, wartime elections would be a \"tsunami\" that would \"destroy\" Ukraine, as reported by France 24 and New Voice of Ukraine.\n\nZelensky emphasized that elections cannot be held while active fighting continues and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin remains unwilling to consider cease-fire options. He also stressed that the war must end before elections can be held, as reported by New Voice of Ukraine.\n\nZelensky's comments come amid a political crisis in Kyiv, triggered by his firing of popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had called for a vote. The president also touched on other topics, including Ukraine's military operations against Russian ballistic missile launchers and the development of alternatives to the Starlink satellite system used for battlefield communications, as reported by Kyiv Independent and Free Malaysia Today.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "Fedorov reveals what he plans to do after leaving Ukraine's government",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/fedorov-reveals-what-he-plans-to-do-after-leaving-ukraines-government",
        "published": "2026-08-23T08:07:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Independent",
        "title": "Russia planning 'peripheral' mobilization of 300,000 men after elections, Zelensky says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/russia-planning-peripheral-mobilization-of-300-000-men-after",
        "published": "2026-08-23T10:16:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Zelensky reveals Ukraine developing Starlink alternative with Europe as Russia teams up with China",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/zelensky-reveals-ukraine-developing-starlink-alternative-with-europe",
        "published": "2026-08-23T10:16:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Le Monde English",
        "title": "Zelensky says elections too risky while Ukraine fights Russia",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/zelensky-says-elections-too-risky-while-ukraine-fights-russia",
        "published": "2026-08-23T11:47:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "President Zelensky says having elections in Ukraine would 'destroy the country'",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/president-zelensky-says-having-elections-in-ukraine-would-destroy-the",
        "published": "2026-08-23T13:07:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}