Kyiv protesters urge reversal after defence minister’s dismissal
Hundreds rallied near Ukraine’s presidential office as Zelenskyy moved ahead with a wartime cabinet reshuffle.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Hundreds of people protested in central Kyiv on Thursday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. The backlash put public pressure on Ukraine’s leadership as parliament prepared to vote on a new wartime government.
The crowd gathered near the Ivan Franko National Theatre, close to the presidential office, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. Protesters called on Zelenskyy to reverse the decision, chanted “Shame!” and held signs reading “The Russians are celebrating,” local media reports cited by the outlets said.
Local media reports cited by Al Jazeera and Reuters said demonstrations also took place in Lviv, Odesa and Dnipro. The rallies followed Fedorov’s departure from the Defence Ministry as part of a broader government shake-up.
Cabinet vote follows reshuffle
Al Jazeera and Reuters reported that Ukraine’s parliament was due to vote Thursday on a new wartime cabinet after Fedorov’s dismissal. The reshuffle also saw Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko leave office, according to the report.
The changes mark Zelenskyy’s second cabinet overhaul in a year, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. Lawmakers expected Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko to become defence minister, and parliament was also expected to approve energy executive Serhii Koretskyi as prime minister, along with new defence and foreign ministers.
The protest site carried added political weight, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters, because it was near the location of last July’s so-called “cardboard protest.” That public pressure led Zelenskyy to reverse a criticised measure that had stripped Ukraine’s anticorruption agencies of their independence, the outlets reported.
Fedorov cites record in office
Fedorov wrote on X that serving as defence minister had been “a great honour,” Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. In the post, he pointed to what he described as ministry achievements during his tenure, including disabling Starlink access for Russian forces and starting programmes aimed at expanding Ukraine’s domestic drone production during the war with Moscow.
Al Jazeera and Reuters described Fedorov as a 35-year-old technology specialist who previously served as Ukraine’s first minister for digital transformation. He has been credited with cutting bureaucracy and bringing a more data-focused approach to Ukraine’s war effort, according to the report.
Supporters cited by Al Jazeera and Reuters said Fedorov’s attempts to reform defence procurement and address corruption made him opponents inside parts of the political and military establishment. Critics cited by the outlets said he had not moved fast enough on pledges to overhaul military recruitment.
Zelenskyy told reporters Wednesday that he wanted the Defence Ministry and military leadership to work with greater unity, Al Jazeera and Reuters reported. The outlets said his remarks appeared to acknowledge reports of tensions between Fedorov and other officials.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.