Several thousand Ukrainians marched through central Kyiv on Friday, signalling to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that opposition to his decision to dismiss Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov remains strong.
Fedorov, who took charge of the wartime defence ministry in January and is widely credited with driving military innovation during Ukraine’s war with Russia, was removed in a surprise government reshuffle in mid-July.
Since then, protesters have gathered near the presidential office, calling for Fedorov to be reinstated after he refused to accept another government position.
“I don’t like it when decisions are made, and then no one can explain why they were made,” Oleksandr, a 40-year-old IT worker, said.
Zelenskiy initially said he dismissed Fedorov because of a major conflict with then commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was himself removed a week later following public pressure.
Speculation later grew that Fedorov was forced out because of his efforts to tackle alleged corruption in the defence sector. Fedorov appeared to support those claims in a recent interview but gave no details.
Protesters marched through Kyiv’s historic centre before converging on Khreshchatyk, the city’s main street, to press their demands.
Many questioned whether Ukraine could continue modernising its military without Fedorov, whose reforms coincided with intensified strikes on Russian military and energy targets and reported frontline gains.
Zelenskiy has shown no sign of reversing his decision. He appointed Yevhenii Khmara, the acting head of the state security service, as acting defence minister. Under Ukrainian law, the defence minister must be a civilian.
Matteo Mecacci, director of the European Policy Institute in Kyiv, said the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new military commander could restore confidence for some Ukrainians, but not all.
“The way out (for Zelenskiy) probably cannot be limited to another personnel decision, and Fedorov’s reappointment now appears unlikely. The focus must therefore be on effective crisis management,” he said.
Protest organiser and military veteran Dmytro Koziatynskyi said Zelenskiy should allow Fedorov another year to continue defence reforms before judging his performance.
Protesters vowed to continue demonstrating as the crowd chanted: “The people are the power.”
Civilian control of government is “an essential democratic principle”, Mecacci said.
“These demonstrations show that Ukrainians do not regard such questions as an internal dispute among officials, but as matters directly affecting the effectiveness of the war effort and public confidence in the country’s institutions,” he added.
Iryna, a 38-year-old businesswoman, said the demonstrations would continue until the government responded.
“We are not in a rush. We are here to stay. We have no choice,” she said.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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