Sacked Ukrainian defence minister calls for election

Ukraine has remained under martial law since Russia's invasion, which has required the suspension of all national elections. Amid these wartime political tensions, 35-year-old Mykhailo Fedorov—who was unexpectedly dismissed from his role as defence minister in late July after serving for only half a year—released a YouTube video urging the establishment of a legal, safe, and realistic mechanism to restore full democratic processes in the country despite the prolonged conflict.

Although Fedorov did not mention President Volodymyr Zelensky by name in his video message, his abrupt removal sparked widespread protests across Ukraine. President Zelensky has yet to issue an official response to the clip. Analysts and observers widely accept that Fedorov's dismissal stemmed from mounting tensions between him and army commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was also replaced several weeks later following intense pressure from the ongoing street demonstrations.

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

Before taking the helm at the defence ministry, Fedorov served as the digital transformation minister, where he set up the volunteer "IT Army of Ukraine" to launch cyber-operations against Russian targets in the early days of the full-scale invasion. He later spearheaded the successful "Army of Drones" fundraising initiative, introducing gamification elements that rewarded Ukrainian military units with credits for striking Russian assets. His technological focus also included asking SpaceX founder Elon Musk to block Russian forces from utilizing Starlink terminals for drone strikes.