Sacked Ukrainian defence minister calls for presidential election
Why is Ukraine's ex-defence minister calling for wartime elections? Ukraine's popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections, in what is widely seen as the biggest challenge to Volodymyr Zelensky's presidency since Russia's full-scale invasion four and a half years ago. "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," said Fedorov, 35, in a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, adding that Ukraine is fighting "precisely because we want to remain a free European state". Since the war broke out in 2022 Ukraine has been under martial law, meaning elections are suspended. Fedorov, who did not mention Zelensky by name in the video, was unexpectedly fired from his role as defence minister last month, just six months after his appointment. Zelensky tries to fix crisis over removal of defence minister and counts the cost The drivers risking death on Ukraine's most dangerous bus routes Zelensky has not directly responded to the video from Fedorov, whose dismissal sparked protests across the country .
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Within days Syrskyi was also replaced, as mounting protests calling for Fedorov's reinstatement piled pressure on the Ukrainian president. In the central city of Zhytomyr, two police officers were killed and another 20 people injured in a Russian drone strike on the regional police headquarters, a local official said. Fedorov is a charismatic politician, and during his tenure as defence minister, he was credited with energising the ministry, heading a drive against corruption, challenging outdated military structures and transforming the battlefield with new technology.
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Former Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections, in what is widely seen as the biggest challenge to Volodymyr Zelensky's presidency since Russia's full-scale invasion four and a half years ago. "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," said Fedorov, 35, in a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, adding that Ukraine is fighting "precisely because we want to remain a free European state". Since the war broke out in 2022 Ukraine has been under martial law, which means elections are suspended. Fedorov, who did not mention Zelensky by name in the video, was unexpectedly fired from his role as defence minister last month, just six months after his appointment. Zelensky is yet to respond to the video from Fedorov, whose dismissal sparked protests across the country . During his tenure as a highly popular defence minister, Fedorov was credited with energising the ministry, heading a drive against corruption and using data to analyse and try to improve performance on the front line.
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Ukraine's popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections, in what is widely seen as the biggest challenge to Volodymyr Zelensky's presidency since Russia's full-scale invasion four and a half years ago. "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," said Fedorov, 35, in a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, adding that Ukraine is fighting "precisely because we want to remain a free European state". Since the war broke out in 2022 Ukraine has been under martial law, meaning elections are suspended. Fedorov, who did not mention Zelensky by name in the video, was unexpectedly fired from his role as defence minister last month, just six months after his appointment. Zelensky is yet to respond to the video from Fedorov, whose dismissal sparked protests across the country . About 100 protesters gathered outside the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday morning, chanting "bring back Federov as minister of defence" and "we are fed up, we want dialogue".
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Version 7published
Ukraine's popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections, in what is widely seen as the biggest challenge to Volodymyr Zelensky's presidency since Russia's full-scale invasion four and a half years ago. "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," said Fedorov, 35, in a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, adding that Ukraine is fighting "precisely because we want to remain a free European state". Since the war broke out in 2022 Ukraine has been under martial law, meaning elections are suspended. Fedorov, who did not mention Zelensky by name in the video, was unexpectedly fired from his role as defence minister last month, just six months after his appointment. Zelensky is yet to respond to the video from Fedorov, whose dismissal sparked protests across the country . About 100 protesters gathered outside the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday morning, chanting "bring back Federov as minister of defence" and "we are fed up, we want dialogue".
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Removed by Scoop Timeline eligibility policy
Version 9published
Ukraine's popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections, in what is widely seen as the biggest challenge to Volodymyr Zelensky's presidency since Russia's full-scale invasion four and a half years ago. "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," said Fedorov, 35, in a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, adding that Ukraine is fighting "precisely because we want to remain a free European state". Since the war broke out in 2022 Ukraine has been under martial law, meaning elections are suspended. Fedorov, who did not mention Zelensky by name in the video, was unexpectedly fired from his role as defence minister last month, just six months after his appointment. Zelensky is yet to respond to the video from Fedorov, whose dismissal sparked protests across the country . About 100 protesters gathered outside the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday morning, chanting "bring back Fedorov as minister of defence" and "we are fed up, we want dialogue".
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Removed by Scoop Timeline eligibility policy
Version 11published
Ukraine's popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections, in what is widely seen as the biggest challenge to Volodymyr Zelensky's presidency since Russia's full-scale invasion four and a half years ago. "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," said Fedorov, 35, in a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, adding that Ukraine is fighting "precisely because we want to remain a free European state". Since the war broke out in 2022 Ukraine has been under martial law, meaning elections are suspended. Fedorov, who did not mention Zelensky by name in the video, was unexpectedly fired from his role as defence minister last month, just six months after his appointment. Zelensky is yet to respond to the video from Fedorov, whose dismissal sparked protests across the country . About 100 protesters gathered outside the Ukrainian parliament on Wednesday morning, chanting "bring back Fedorov as minister of defence" and "we are fed up, we want dialogue".
Version 12unpublished
Removed by Scoop Timeline eligibility policy
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Why is Ukraine's ex-defence minister calling for wartime elections? Ukraine's popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections, in what is widely seen as the biggest challenge to Volodymyr Zelensky's presidency since Russia's full-scale invasion four and a half years ago. "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia," said Fedorov, 35, in a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday, adding that Ukraine is fighting "precisely because we want to remain a free European state". Since the war broke out in 2022 Ukraine has been under martial law, meaning elections are suspended. Fedorov, who did not mention Zelensky by name in the video, was unexpectedly fired from his role as defence minister last month, just six months after his appointment. Zelensky tries to fix crisis over removal of defence minister and counts the cost The drivers risking death on Ukraine's most dangerous bus routes Zelensky has not directly responded to the video from Fedorov, whose dismissal sparked protests across the country .
