Protests against Fedorov's dismissal continue for ninth day in Kyiv and other cities

On 24 July, people in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities took to the streets for the ninth consecutive day of protests against the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov from the post of defense minister, according to Ukrainska Pravda correspondents in Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Protesters are chanting slogans such as "There was no reason to dismiss him, so he must be reinstated", "Bring him back", "With Fedorov and Drapatyi you cannot defeat us!", "There's one Mykhailo, now we need another!", and "You broke it, now fix it!".

For a second day running, cardboard signs also carried messages opposing the appointment of Vitalii Kim as minister for veterans affairs.

In Kharkiv, protesters gathered on Freedom Square, chanting: "Reforms must continue", "There's one Mykhailo, now we need another", and "We are not Russia, the people are strength". Later, a missile threat was issued in Kharkiv, and people continued the protest in the metro.

Protests have been held daily from 16 to 24 July, with demonstrators demanding Fedorov's reinstatement as defense minister and the dismissal of Oleksandr Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that Fedorov and Syrskyi had been unable to find common ground and that problems on the battlefield, within brigades, and with mobilization remained unresolved.

On 18 July, the president said he had spoken with Fedorov and Syrskyi, promising that "decisions regarding the army will be worked out." On 20 July, Syrskyi apologized to Fedorov, saying he had not realized there was a conflict between them. Following six days of protests, Zelenskyy announced Syrskyi's dismissal and appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi to replace him.

Ex-serviceman Dmytro Koziatynskyi, who had previously called for protests against Syrskyi, urged Ukrainians to join the protest in Kyiv on 24 July demanding Fedorov's reinstatement.