Zelensky rejects rival's call for vote, says would 'split' Ukraine

The Ukrainian leader -- a former TV comedian elected in 2019 -- has previously faced calls both from Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump to stage a vote, even as Moscow rains down missiles and drones across the country on a daily basis.

"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," Zelensky said.

"If we want to destroy the country, then we can move in the direction of elections during these times of war," added the 48-year-old.

He made the comments Saturday in a briefing with journalists including AFP.

Kyiv has been engulfed in a political crisis over the summer, triggered when Zelensky fired popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Thousands took to the streets to demand his reinstatement, while Fedorov issued blistering attacks against the army's top brass.

The row forced Zelensky to sack his commander-in-chief.

Then days ago, the ousted Fedorov made a surprise call to find a way to organise elections.

He did not state explicitly that he wanted to challenge Zelensky, but the shock move made even some of his supporters distance themselves.

Experts have cited a flurry of obstacles to staging elections.

They include how soldiers, millions of Ukrainian refugees and people from occupied territories would cast their ballots, as well as the threat of both interference and physical attacks from Russia.

- Missile deficit -

Only 15 percent of Ukrainians believe elections should be held before the end of hostilities, according to an opinion poll.

Zelensky, while having faced increasing pockets of criticism domestically as the war drags on, is still largely popular.

Zelensky hit out at his potential rival with numerous jabs during the briefing.

"I believe he is going himself -- or is being pushed -- toward wrong things," Zelensky said of Fedorov.

The former minister was a prominent backer of the drone warfare strategy that has come to dominate Ukraine's war with Russia, and had pushed for army reforms -- winning support among the public.

But openly calling for an election is a risky bet and could have knocked his standing.

Fedorov's team confirmed to AFP on Sunday he plans to visit the United States soon -- a trip likely to revive speculation about whether he is positioning himself as a rival to Zelensky.

The domestic row comes amid an escalation in the war.

Moscow has intensified its strikes, using hard-to-intercept ballistic missiles that expose Ukraine's air defence shortfall.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has accelerated its own campaign of long-range strikes on Russian energy and logistics sites -- including oil refineries and retail warehouses.

Zelensky said deliveries of crucial interceptor missiles for US Patriot air defence systems -- which can shoot down Russia's ballistic missiles -- had halved since 2023.

"Over the entire of 2023, Ukraine received 675 missiles, and over all of 2025 -- 364, even though Russian missile strikes have increased," Zelensky said.

"For 2026, as currently projected, it is 264," he added, saying Ukraine was seeking a package of 300 for the upcoming winter.

The United States faces its own shortfall of the missiles amid its war on Iran and has been resistant to release large numbers to Ukraine.

Zelensky said Russia could produce around 100 ballistic missiles a month.

Civilian deaths in the four-and-a-half-year-long war have surged to their highest since the first months of the invasion amid the uptick in Russian strikes, according to verified statistics from the United Nations.

Ukraine will on Monday host a meeting of its European allies to discuss how to pressure Russia to end its invasion.

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