Ukraine's sacked defence minister Fedorov calls for wartime presidential elections

Ukraine’s ​ousted Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for wartime elections in a bombshell address on Tuesday, arguing the nation faced a crisis of governance, in the biggest internal challenge to President Volodymyr Zelensky since Russia’s invasion. Fedorov’s call, delivered in a video address posted on YouTube, is the first such ​demand by a ‌major Ukrainian political figure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Ukrainian law prohibits holding elections ⁠during wartime. “Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia,” Fedorov said. “We must find a legal, safe and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to renew its full democratic process even in ‌the conditions of a long war.” The 35-year-old Fedorov was a longtime ally of Zelensky’s until his unexpected firing from ⁠the defence ministry in July, just six months after he had been appointed, vowing sweeping reforms. Read moreHow rivalry with a top general brought down Ukraine’s popular defence minister Fedorov Shortly after his dismissal, the tech-savvy Fedorov publicly tore into the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, exposing a bitter rift between the men ​and their different visions...