KYIV: Thousands of people gathered in Ukraine’s capital on Friday for a second consecutive day to protest President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to dismiss Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as part of a controversial government reshuffle.
Many demonstrators waved Ukrainian flags and carried placards expressing support for Fedorov, whose removal has sparked public criticism amid the ongoing war with Russia.
During his nearly six-month tenure, Fedorov frequently clashed with Ukraine’s top military commander over efforts to modernise and digitise the armed forces, which have been under strain after four years of fighting Russia’s invasion.
A day after resigning on Wednesday, Fedorov accused Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky of creating divisions within the country.
He criticised bureaucratic delays and what he described as a lack of flexibility, questioning whether Ukraine could defeat Russia under Syrsky’s military leadership.
President Zelensky acknowledged tensions between the civilian leadership and military command.
“A president in wartime should not have to choose in such a situation, honestly,” he said. “I would very much like unity.”
Following Fedorov’s departure, Zelensky appointed Yevgeniy Khmara, head of Ukraine’s security service, as acting defence minister.
Around 1,000 people demonstrated in Kyiv over the decision, while similar protests were also held in several other Ukrainian cities.
As defence minister, Fedorov introduced higher military salaries, announced plans for partial demobilisation and launched a game-style rewards system for military units recording the highest number of Russian casualties.
However, despite never having served in the military, he often clashed with senior commanders over his reform agenda and preference for a more technology-driven approach.
Fedorov earned strong support from many of Ukraine’s Western partners. Several international figures, including Palantir chief executive Alex Karp, publicly contacted him following his dismissal.
Before taking over the defence ministry, Fedorov had championed the use of advanced technologies, particularly drones, to compensate for Ukraine’s shortages of personnel, funding and ammunition.
A recent survey by the Kyiv Institute of Sociology ranked Fedorov among the country’s most trusted public figures.
