Ukraine's Zelenskyy faces call for wartime election from former defense chief

Protesters carry placards as they march during a rally calling for a reform of the defence sector and the reinstatement of the young and tech-savvy defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was sacked a mounth ago, in central Kyiv on August 16, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.Serhii Okunev | Afp | Getty ImagesUkraine's former defense chief Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections in what many see as the most direct political challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly four-and-a-half years ago.Fedorov, who was unexpectedly sacked last month as part of a government reshuffle, said Tuesday that "democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," according to a Reuters translation."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," Fedorov said. His comments, which did not mention Zelenskyy by name, were delivered in a more than nine-minute video posted to YouTube. Ukrainian law currently prohibits holding elections during wartime. A former ally of Zelenskyy, Fedorov is widely seen as a popular figure in Ukraine. His dismiss...