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Russia’s War in Ukraine

Understanding the conflict four years on.

As the sun rose on Aug. 20, rescuers in Kyiv were searching around a nine-story apartment building’s upper floors, which were destroyed after an overnight missile and drone assault that also killed at least 16 people and wounded more than 40.

The night before, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov asked the country to contemplate the return of electoral politics even under wartime conditions. His nine-minute video arrived on the eve of a parliamentary vote that confirmed his replacement and one month after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky removed him from government.

As the sun rose on Aug. 20, rescuers in Kyiv were searching around a nine-story apartment building’s upper floors, which were destroyed after an overnight missile and drone assault that also killed at least 16 people and wounded more than 40.

The night before, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov asked the country to contemplate the return of electoral politics even under wartime conditions. His nine-minute video arrived on the eve of a parliamentary vote that confirmed his replacement and one month after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky removed him from government.

“We must not let Putin decide when Ukrainians can choose their government,” Fedorov said. “Democracy is not a peacetime luxury. Democracy is part of what we are fighting for today.”

Fedorov spoke about corruption, personal loyalty, and private interests in defense, pharmaceuticals, and gambling. The video showed David Arakhamia, the head of Zelensky’s Servant of the People faction in parliament. Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s former chief of staff, also appeared.

After nearly seven years as a Zelensky loyalist, Fedorov’s address was understood in Kyiv as the launch of his independent political career and an open challenge to the president.

When asked by Foreign Policy about Fedorov’s speech, Arakhamia questioned both the feasibility of elections and Fedorov’s motives. “There is no option to conduct democratic, free elections during the war,” he said. “The question has been studied extensively by numerous experts and international institutions, and there are simply too many constraints. This is a weak attempt by one individual to capitalize on a temporary bump in the polls.”

Fedorov’s position is not particularly popular. A survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology from July 20 to Aug. 3 found that 15 percent of Ukrainians wanted elections before hostilities ended. Twenty-three percent supported voting after a cease-fire backed by security guarantees, while 57 percent preferred to wait for a final peace agreement.

Pressure........

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