Coverage dated August 18, 2026 to August 21, 2026

Ukraine's former defense minister demands elections: "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia"

Headline from CBS News

Ukraine's former defense chief, Mykhailo Fedorov, is demanding a wartime presidential election. This comes after his firing by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sparked protests in Ukraine. CBS News' Aidan Stretch has more details.

CBS News's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Earlier updates in this story

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Reports & sources

22 articles, oldest first.

  1. The Kyiv Independent

    Breaking: Fedorov calls for wartime elections, says Putin shouldn't decide when Ukrainians vote (opens The Kyiv Independent)

    Published

    The Kyiv Independent's feed description

    Femocracy is "part of what we are fighting for today," Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.

  2. The Guardian

    Ukraine’s dismissed defence minister calls for wartime presidential election (opens The Guardian)

    Published

    The Guardian's feed description

    Mykhailo Fedorov’s appeal is most direct challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since Russian invasion in 2022 Ukraine’s recently dismissed former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for a wartime presidential election in the most direct political challenge to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the start …

  3. BBC News

    Sacked Ukrainian defence minister calls for presidential election (opens BBC News)

    Published

    BBC News's feed description

    Martial law has been in place in Ukraine since February 2022, under which elections are suspended.

  4. Al Jazeera

    Ukraine’s ousted defence minister calls for elections during war (opens Al Jazeera)

    Published

    Al Jazeera's feed description

    Mykhailo Fedorov's call is first such demand by a major Ukrainian political figure since Russia's full-scale invasion.

  5. France 24

    Ukraine's sacked defence minister Fedorov calls for wartime presidential elections (opens France 24)

    Published

    France 24's feed description

    Ukraine's popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for wartime elections on Tuesday evening, stating that the nation was facing a crisis of governance. Fedorov was dismissed last month, sparking days of protests across Ukraine.

  6. CBS News

    Ukraine's fired defense minister calls for elections despite war with Russia (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    The former defense minister, whose firing sparked weeks of protests, said Ukraine needed to find a way to hold elections despite the prolonged war with Russia.

  7. Philadelphia Inquirer

    Ousted Ukraine defense minister urges wartime elections, warning of a governance crisis (opens Philadelphia Inquirer)

    Published

    Philadelphia Inquirer's feed description

    Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for elections to be held despite the ongoing war

  8. Deutsche Welle

    Ukraine updates: Ousted minister Fedorov calls for elections (opens Deutsche Welle)

    Published

    Deutsche Welle's feed description

    Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections in Ukraine in the biggest challenge to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. DW has more.

  9. Al Jazeera

    Ukraine’s sacked defence minister calls for wartime elections (opens Al Jazeera)

    Published

    Al Jazeera's feed description

    Ukraine’s sacked defence minister calls for wartime elections

  10. France 24

    Ousted Ukraine defence minister challenges Zelensky's leadership (opens France 24)

    Published

    France 24's feed description

    Ukraine’s ousted Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called Tuesday for elections to be held even as the war against Russia continues, saying the country was gripped by a crisis of governance. The move by one of President Volodymyr Zelensky's most loyal and longstanding team members until recently cou…

  11. France 24

    Sacked Ukraine defence minister urges path to elections (opens France 24)

    Published

    France 24's feed description

    Ukraine's popular ex-defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, sacked last month, on Tuesday called for a move towards elections that have been put off because of the Russian invasion. Ukraine imposed martial law when Russian forces swept over the border in February 2022, and military rule prohibits holdin…

  12. UPI

    Fired Ukrainian defense minister Fedorov calls for wartime elections (opens UPI)

    Published

    UPI's feed description

    Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for elections in ukraine, arguing that the suspension of democracy was incompatible with its war goals.

  13. France 24

    Ukraine’s ousted minister Mykhailo Fedorov calls for wartime elections (opens France 24)

    Published

    France 24's feed description

    In a bombshell address posted on YouTube, Ukraine’s ousted defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov called for elections to be held even as the war against Russia continues, saying the country was gripped by a crisis of governance.

  14. CBS News

    Ukraine's former defense minister demands elections: "Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia" (opens CBS News)

    Published

    CBS News's feed description

    Ukraine's former defense chief, Mykhailo Fedorov, is demanding a wartime presidential election. This comes after his firing by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sparked protests in Ukraine. CBS News' Aidan Stretch has more details.

  15. Oil Price

    Ukraine’s Ousted Defense Chief Calls for Wartime Elections (opens Oil Price)

    Published

    Oil Price's feed description

    A popular former defense minister whose dismissal last month sparked protests has delivered a videotaped address to Ukrainians in which he assailed wartime corruption, warned of a systemic crisis of governance, and said the country must find a way to hold elections despite the continuing Russian inv…

  16. Washington Examiner

    Zelensky’s fired defense minister mounts political challenge by demanding new elections (opens Washington Examiner)

    Published

    Washington Examiner's feed description

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, demanded the country hold new elections, mounting a direct political challenge to his former boss. Fedorov served as defense minister from January to July, when Zelensky fired him as part of a government shake-up.

  17. BBC News

    Why is Ukraine's ex-defence minister calling for wartime elections? (opens BBC News)

    Published

    BBC News's feed description

    Mykhailo Fedorov has called for elections, without addressing concerns over how they could be held while at war.

  18. The National Pulse

    New Ukrainian Defense Chief Installed as Predecessor Calls for Wartime Elections. (opens The National Pulse)

    Published

    The National Pulse's feed description

    Ukraine's leadership faces fresh challenges as a new defense minister is appointed amidst protests, corruption allegations, and calls for wartime elections.

  19. Washington Examiner

    Ukraine’s former defense minister calls for elections. Will he get them? (opens Washington Examiner)

    Published

    Washington Examiner's feed description

    Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov opened a new front in the country’s sharpening political scene on Tuesday, calling for new elections despite the continuing war with Russia. Fedorov, a popular reformer credited with modernizing Ukraine’s government and expanding its military drone …

  20. The Kyiv Independent

    Fedorov broke Ukraine's wartime election taboo. What happens next? (opens The Kyiv Independent)

    Published

    The Kyiv Independent's feed description

    Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has broken one of Ukraine's most politically sensitive wartime taboos by publicly calling for elections, bringing into the mainstream a debate that Kyiv had largely rejected when raised by Russia and the United States.

  21. The Kyiv Independent

    Fedorov’s call for wartime elections, explained (opens The Kyiv Independent)

    Published

    The Kyiv Independent's feed description

    The Kyiv Independent's Deputy Chief Editor Oleksiy Sorokin and Chief Editor Olga Rudenko debate whether Ukraine could hold an election during the war, what would need to change to make it possible, and whether delaying elections indefinitely could become a threat to Ukrainian democracy.

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.