Ukraine's fired defense minister calls for elections despite war with Russia

Ukraine's former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for an election Tuesday despite the country's prolonged war with Russia, in what is seen as the largest challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's power since the start of the conflict.Zelenskyy imposed martial law, which prohibits elections from being held, when Russian forces invaded the country in February 2022.In a video posted on YouTube, Fedorov said, "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," and called for a "legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process even amidst a prolonged war.""We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state," he added.Before his ouster last month, Fedorov had helped design Ukraine's strategy seeking to bring an end to the war by turning to drones and robots to beat back its larger adversary. Former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov speaking to CBS News in August 2026. CBS News Zelenskyy fired Fedorov in mid-July, citing an unsolvable feud between Fedorov and Zelenskyy's top general, Oleksandr Syrskyi. The move sparked weeks of protests from thousands of people across the country, criticizing the removal...