Zelenskyy under growing pressure to reinstate sacked defence minister
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy faces increasing public pressure to reinstate dismissed defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, with protesters pledging indefinite nationwide demonstrations until he is restored to his post.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy was under growing pressure to reinstate his sacked defence minister on Wednesday, after campaigners said they would continue indefinite nationwide protests until Mykhailo Fedorov got his job back. On Tuesday, Zelenskyy bowed to public demands by firing Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and appointing Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new head of the armed forces as part of a radical top military command reshuffle.
Zelenskyy’s attempts to defuse popular anger by offering Fedorov a new government role have so far failed. Fedorov reportedly turned down the post of deputy prime minister for technological development, insisting he wants to be reinstated as defence minister, arguing it is the only way to implement his ambitious plan for modernising and reforming Ukraine’s army. The post is no longer vacant after Zelenskyy appointed special forces commander Yevhenii Khmara as acting minister.
Protesters have called for a rally on Friday evening outside Zelenskyy’s presidential office in Ivana Franka Square, Kyiv. Prominent veteran Dmytro Koziatynsky announced that the protest’s second demand is the return of Mykhailo Fedorov to the defence minister position. One senior army source told the Guardian that Zelenskyy faces a major dilemma: reversing his decision would be a big victory for Fedorov and humiliating for the president, but if he doesn’t, the protests will continue.
Drone strikes and military changes
Overnight, Ukrainian drones hit warehouses belonging to Russian online retailer Wildberries, sparking large fires in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk, part of an ongoing campaign to cripple Russia’s economy.
Zelenskyy held a meeting with top generals. Afterwards, Drapatyi wrote on Facebook that he had been instructed to intensify offensive operations in all domains, plan operations behind enemy lines, and develop new technologies to build up military capabilities.
Drapatyi’s appointment has met widespread approval. Former president Petro Poroshenko said the army trusts him, calling him strategically minded, brave, and decisive. However, one high-ranking military figure noted significant challenges ahead, including the likelihood that Vladimir Putin will introduce some form of mobilisation after September elections.
The crisis was triggered by a generational conflict between Fedorov, a 35-year-old tech-savvy moderniser, and Syrskyi, a 60-year-old Soviet-trained traditionalist. Syrskyi defended his record, noting that Ukraine has retaken over 700 sq km of territory this year and that he created a separate drone branch of the armed forces – the first of its kind in the world.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Drapatyi’s appointment would not alter the situation on the frontline, adding that Moscow has no intention of stopping its full-scale offensive.
