He's Young, Charismatic, Wants Wartime Elections in Ukraine

Ukraine's ousted defense chief has turned up the political heat. Mykhailo Fedorov, 35, who was fired last month after only six months as defense minister, released a YouTube video on Tuesday demanding that Ukraine find a way to hold presidential elections despite it being under martial law. He said "democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia" and warned of a "systemic crisis of governance" and corruption. He did not name President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose term officially expired in May 2024, but urged a state "where institutions are stronger than names." As the BBC writes, "That might be a reference to Zelensky's own personal profile, but after such a stark intervention, it is Fedorov's name that is now doing the rounds."

The BBC frames Fedorov as a "charismatic politician" who "was credited with energizing the ministry" but clashed with the old-school tactics of army commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was dismissed shortly after Fedorov. Zelensky hasn't publicly responded to Fedorov's video, but an aide called the idea of voting as Russia rains down bombs and drones "highly bizarre." Fedorov had been offered other government positions in the wake of his dismissal last month, but insisted he would accept nothing but defense minister. The AP reports Ukraine's Parliament on Wednesday approved acting defense minister Yevhenii Khmara as the new defense minister, ending the possibility Fedorov could retake the post any time soon.