Thousands protest for second day in Kyiv over ouster of popular defence minister Fedorov

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Kyiv on Friday, July 17, for a second day of protests against President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to sack his popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, as part of a controversial reshuffle. Protesters carried Ukrainian flags and placards expressing support for Fedorov, according to an AFP journalist.

Fedorov, who had been in office for barely six months, repeatedly clashed with the army's commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, over efforts to digitise and modernise the military, which has been fatigued after four years of fighting the Russian invasion. After being forced to resign, Fedorov on Thursday accused Syrsky of dividing the country, criticising slow bureaucracy and lack of flexibility, and questioned whether Ukraine could defeat Russia with Syrsky in charge.

Zelensky lamented that the two sides were barely on speaking terms. "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 removal, Zelensky on Thursday appointed Yevgeniy Khmara, the head of Ukraine's SBU security service, as acting defence minister. Already on Thursday, around a thousand people protested in Kyiv, with protests also occurring in other cities.

During his tenure, Fedorov boosted military salaries, announced plans for partial demobilisation, and introduced game-like reward systems for units that kill the most Russian soldiers. However, he repeatedly clashed with the military command's more traditional approach. Even before becoming defence chief, Fedorov spent much of the war promoting advanced technology, such as drones, to offset Ukraine's shortages in manpower, money, and ammunition.

A June 2026 poll by the Kyiv Institute of Sociology ranked Fedorov among the country's most trusted public figures.