Ukraine protests over Fedorov’s dismissal continue; Zelenskyy seeks to mend ties with Poland

For a second day, thousands of Ukrainians have taken to the streets to protest the sudden removal of popular and innovative Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had clashed with the more conventional military chief of staff, Oleksandr Syrskyi. Several thousand people gathered outside the presidential office after Fedorov was not reappointed in a surprise government reshuffle. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy defended his decision, saying he was forced “to choose between sides [when honestly] what I want most is unity.” The move, which came just as Kyiv appeared to be gaining some advantages in its war with Russia, has exposed a troubling flaw in the president’s leadership and startled senior European officials. As Guardian senior international correspondent Peter Beaumont writes, Fedorov had successfully leveraged drone and missile technology, and the conflict between the two men was inevitable: between an old-school general micromanaging a war of attrition and Fedorov’s tech-driven, improvisational approach that had recently shown dividends.

Meanwhile, on Friday, Zelenskyy took steps to repair a rift with key ally Poland over his May decision to name a Ukrainian army unit after WWII fighters who killed Poles. He pledged to expand investigations into killings by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army and open intelligence files. Zelenskyy told senior officials that improved ties were critical given Poland’s help against Russia. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that Poland was “ready for a serious and friendly dialogue on the issues that unite us and those that divide us.”

In Russia, authorities cracked down on dissent, detaining blogger Ilya Remeslo for criticizing President Putin and the war in Ukraine, and fining anti-war politician Boris Nadezhdin. The moves serve as a warning to Kremlin critics ahead of September’s parliamentary election. President Putin and the United Russia party are under pressure due to a slowing economy and fuel shortages triggered by Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries. Remeslo was detained Friday on suspicion of spreading false information about the Russian army, while Nadezhdin was fined 1,000 rubles ($13) for displaying “extremist symbols.”

Russia continued its attacks in the Black Sea, hitting two Ukrainian port cities on Friday and killing three people, Ukrainian officials said. A drone attack on port infrastructure in Mykolaiv damaged three civilian foreign-flagged vessels, killing two Ukrainians on board a foreign vessel. Another man was killed in an attack on Odesa, Ukraine’s biggest seaport. A later Russian strike hit a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel in the Odesa region, damaging the ship, causing a fire, and injuring four of its 17 crew members. The strikes have led to a partial halt in grain shipments and an almost complete suspension of grain purchases at port terminals, traders and analysts say.