Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected calls for wartime elections, warning that a vote during the ongoing war with Russia could divide Ukraine while his government confronts new security and funding challenges.
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that holding wartime elections could “destroy” Ukraine, rejecting calls by former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for a vote during the more than four-year war with Russia. Zelenskyy described elections under current conditions as a “huge risk” and a “tsunami” that could split the country.
- Key Highlights:
- Zelenskyy rejected calls for wartime elections, saying they could divide Ukraine.
- Ukrainian law currently bans elections during wartime.
- Former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov publicly called for an election earlier this week.
- Zelenskyy also addressed Russian attacks, air defence needs and a $27bn defence funding gap for 2026.
Zelenskyy warns wartime elections could split Ukraine
Zelenskyy addressed the issue during a wide-ranging briefing with reporters on Saturday, with his comments published on Sunday. He said the prospect of organising an election during the current conflict carried serious risks for the country.
“I believe that in a war like this, elections as such are a huge risk. Elections right now are a tsunami for the country that will split Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
He went further, warning that moving towards elections during the war could have destructive consequences for Ukraine’s stability.
“If we want to destroy the country, then we can move in the direction of elections during these times of war,” he added.
Ukrainian law bans elections during wartime, and the measure had not faced a public challenge until Fedorov called for a vote earlier this week.
Former defence minister calls for a vote
Fedorov, 35, had served as defence minister for six months before Zelenskyy dismissed him in July, a decision that prompted protests across Ukraine. A popular political figure, he made his case for elections in a nine-minute video posted on YouTube on Tuesday.
In the video, Fedorov argued that Ukraine’s democracy “cannot be held hostage by Russia” and questioned whether Moscow should be able to influence when Ukrainians elect their authorities.
He also said Kyiv was facing what he described as a “systemic crisis of governance”. However, experts have told Al Jazeera that holding an election during wartime would be practically impossible because of major logistical and safety challenges, a view the report said most Ukrainians also share.
Russian strikes kill and wound civilians
The political dispute is unfolding as Ukraine continues to face Russian attacks and seeks new ways to counter Moscow’s missile and drone operations.
Overnight strikes in the eastern Donetsk region killed two people and wounded two others on Sunday, according to Ukraine’s emergency services. The attacks also damaged at least 141 private homes.
In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, a drone attack wounded eight people, including a child. At least two residential buildings were burned in the strike, the emergency service said.
Elsewhere, a Russian drone hit a passenger train travelling from Zhytomyr to Odesa, according to the Kyiv Independent, which cited Ukrainian Railways CEO Oleksandr Pertsovskyi. No casualties were reported from the train attack.
Ukraine targets Russian ballistic missile launchers
Zelenskyy said Ukraine was placing particular focus on striking Russian ballistic missile launchers as Moscow increased its use of missiles. He said ballistic missiles can effectively only be destroyed by US-designed Patriot systems.
Ukraine has received fewer Patriot missiles in 2026 than in the previous two periods cited by Zelenskyy. He said the country had received 264 Patriot missiles in 2026, compared with 364 in 2025 and 675 in 2023.
With anti-ballistic missile supplies under pressure, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was pursuing another approach by attempting to locate and strike positions from which Russian ballistic missiles are launched.
“When our antiballistic missiles are minimised – here is another tactic … hunting their nearby locations from which ballistic missiles are launched,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine is also seeking to produce Patriot missiles domestically after receiving political backing from United States President Donald Trump, according to Zelenskyy.
Ukraine and Russia pursue Starlink alternatives
Zelenskyy also said Moscow and Kyiv were developing their own alternatives to Starlink, the satellite system used for battlefield communications and controlled by US technology billionaire Elon Musk.
According to Zelenskyy, Russia’s alternative is being developed together with China and is expected to become operational by December. He said Ukraine would not wait for Russia and China and was pursuing a similar project with a European country.
$27bn defence funding gap adds pressure
Ukraine faces a $27bn defence funding gap in 2026 following higher-than-expected defence spending during the first half of the year, Zelenskyy said.
He said Ukraine needed at least $8bn for what he described as a “normal start” to 2027, in addition to about $20bn for other costs including military salaries and payments to families of those killed.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had reached an agreement with France for at least one SAMP/T air defence system this year. He also said Germany had agreed to supply about 600 PAC-2 and PAC-3 interceptors through 2028.
Separately, Norway announced on Sunday that it would provide 85 billion crowns, or $9.2bn, to Kyiv for the 2027 fiscal year, matching the level of support it provided in 2026.
Praveen Yadav is the Founder and Content Creator of The Nation Bulletin, an independent digital news platform focused on delivering timely, reliable and meaningful news from India and around the world.
