Ukraine’s former Defense Mykhailo Fedorov in an online video statement, August 18, 2026
Monday-Tuesday Coverage: Kyiv Could Strike Russia With Ballistic Missiles By End of 2026 — Fedorov
UPDATE 0815 GMT:
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office are carrying out raids “to expose a criminal organization that operated under the leadership of current and former Ukrainian MPs, with the participation of high-ranking officials of the Office of the President of Ukraine and other persons”.
Among the premises raided are those of Presidential Deputy Chief of Staff Iryna Mudra and MP Vadym Stolar.
Mudra is responsible for the judiciary and judicial reform at the President’s Office.
Stolar has been linked to controversial construction projects in Kyiv, and to a scheme that allegedly defrauded hundreds of homebuyers during the 2000s. He has denied the accusations.
UPDATE 0658 GMT:
Russia’s State-owned Vnesheconombank has fired Chief Economist Andrey Klepach, following media reports of his negative economic assessment contradicting Vladimir Putin’s proclamation of forthcoming victory in Ukraine.
Klepach assessed Russia’s economic and geopolitical challenges at the Moscow Exchange’s Nikitsky Club on May 21. He concluded that the Russian war economy is stagnating amid high defense spending, restrictive monetary policy, sanctions, and Ukrainian strikes.
Citing a source close to Klepach, the independent Russian outlet the Bell reported that VEB Chief Executive Officer Igor Shuvalov fired Klepach on Sunday after a “call from above”. Another source confirmed that Klepach’s dismissal was related to his economic assessment.
Klepach was Chief Economist of VEB for 12 years. Before that, he was Russia’s Deputy Minister of Economic Development for six years.
He said in his May 21 assessment that Russia can sustain a war of attrition without collapsing; however, it risks a social crisis as it falls further behind the US, China, and Ukraine economically and technologically. He noted that, amid Ukrainian strikes, Russian growth will likely slow to near zero in 2026.
UPDATE 0652 GMT:
A drone attack at a bus stop used by staff of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant killed one person and injured 15 around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, reports the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The Russian-installed administration at the plant, seized by Russia’s invasion in March 2022, said 16 staff members and subcontractors had been injured.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called on “military commanders responsible for these actions, as well as those targeting nuclear power plants or their staff, to put an immediate stop to these unacceptable actions”.
UPDATE 0637 GMT:
A German court has convicted a Ukrainian man, working for Russian intelligence, over a plot to send parcel bombs in Europe.
The court in Stuttgart said three Ukrainians were involved in sending two packages with GPS trackers and spare auto parts from Germany to Ukraine. The shipments sought to identify opportunities for sabotage.
The 30-year-old defendant was sentenced to 15 months for acting as an agent for the purposes of sabotage. He has already served his time in pre-trial custody.
The two other defendants were acquitted because of a lack of evidence that they were knowingly involved in the plot.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine’s former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov says President Volodymyr Zelensky should call an election despite the ongoing Russian invasion.
Federov became Defense Minister in January, and was widely hailed for technological innovation and implementation. He was dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelensky in July amid disputes with commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi. The removal has sparked mass protests calling for his reinstatement.
Fedorov was offered another position by Zelensky, but has said that he will only accepted his former post. On Tuesday, the President formally nominated Yevhen Khmara, a former senior officer in the SBU State security service, as Defense Minister.
Fedorov said in an online video, released Tuesday evening, that Ukraine must “restore a full democratic process even amid a prolonged war”: “Democracy cannot be held hostage by Russia. We are fighting precisely because we want to remain a free European state.”
Zelensky has said elections can only follow a lasting ceasefire which ends Russia’s full-scale 53 1/2-month invasion. Ukraine’s Constitution prohibits a vote during martial law.
Fedorov said, “We cannot allow Russia to determine what Ukraine will be like” during “this moment” of “colossal challenges”.
He cited the need for faster weapons production, implementation of defense technology, and critical decisions with partners. He went farther by saying Ukraine must plan for forthcoming years.
We must find a legal state and realistic mechanism that will allow Ukraine to restore a full democratic process, even under conditions of a prolonged war.
