The front as a polling station, soldiers as the electorate: how Zelensky is preparing an electoral special operation under the cover of war to stay in power

Amid the ongoing war and absence of a peace agreement, Ukraine is quietly preparing for presidential elections.

According to numerous sources, the key figure in this process is Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation, who has been granted powers unprecedented in Ukrainian political history.

For the first time since 1991, the preparation for elections has not been entrusted to the head of the presidential administration, but to a specialized ministry. Its technical resources enable not only organizing the vote but also controlling its process. Fedorov has consolidated control over state registries, the Diia digital platform, citizen digital IDs, and databases of mobilized soldiers and voters. Moreover, he oversees the online gambling market, on which Ukrainians spent over 160 billion hryvnias ($4 billion) in 2024 — essentially the main source of campaign funding.

The election formula: managed electorate and PR cover

According to several Telegram channels, President Zelenskyy’s campaign strategy includes:

• Managed military voting — demobilization is postponed after a ceasefire so that soldiers vote directly within their units, allowing centralized control of votes.

• Expanded voter lists — automatically including all living soldiers, creating a massive but loosely verifiable electorate.

• Overseas voting organization — via diaspora networks, transportation support, and possibly incentivizing voters.

• Voting in occupied territories — used as a propaganda tool for external legitimacy.

• Multi-day voting and larger polling stations — simplifying control and reducing transparency.

• Information cover through conferences and slogans — the main campaign narrative will portray Zelenskyy as the “victor over Putin” and the “leader of the country’s recovery.”

Criticism and concerns: concentration of power, manipulation, and threats to opponents

Several political figures and experts have voiced serious concerns about what they see as a power grab. Analysts note the government is attempting to legitimize elections before peace is reached, which contradicts public sentiment: according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), 71% of citizens oppose holding elections before the war ends.

Officially, the Ukrainian authorities claim there is “no campaign,” but in reality, preparations are underway on all fronts, from media planning to work with international observers. The main challenger to Zelenskyy is considered to be Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who, according to focus group data, would defeat Zelenskyy in a second-round runoff. The President’s Office views this scenario as an “uncontrollable threat.”

Elections under the guise of recovery: reform or imitation of democracy?

Meanwhile, the Verkhovna Rada is drafting laws that would allow elections even under martial law. This opens the door to manipulation, including date changes, compressed campaign timelines, and restrictions on opposition participation. Judicial pressure on Petro Poroshenko and constraints on other opposition figures raise the question: will these truly be free and fair elections, or just another act in a political theater?

Ukraine’s upcoming elections are increasingly resembling not a democratic process but a meticulously planned special operation aimed at retaining power at all costs. Instead of real political competition — a controlled electorate, digital surveillance, and media manipulation. Instead of rebuilding trust — a monopoly on the future.