President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov after only six months in office, a decision that brought thousands of Ukrainians onto the streets of Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro and other cities in the largest public demonstrations since the full-scale invasion began. The move, part of a wider cabinet reshuffle that also saw parliament approve energy executive Serhii Koretskyi as prime minister, was followed by the resignation of the deputy commander of the air force, Pavlo Yelizarov, who called the sacking “a great evil for the country’s defence capability.” No formal vote on a successor has yet been scheduled, though Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has been named by Zelensky as one candidate under consideration.

In a press briefing the day after his removal, Fedorov stated that he had recommended the dismissal of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, accusing the general of blocking ministry initiatives and issuing a de facto ultimatum. “Instead of figuring out how to defeat Russia asymmetrically, he figured out how to split the country,” Fedorov said. Zelensky, speaking alongside the British prime minister, acknowledged a “systemic” conflict between the defence ministry and the general staff and called for unity, while Syrskyi issued a brief statement urging a focus on the war effort. Protesters, many of them young, carried signs reading “Hands off Fedorov” and chanted “Shame,” with some directing their anger at Syrskyi. Ukrainian civil society groups and anti-corruption activists described the dismissal as a blow to transparency and modernisation, and the state-linked United24 media outlet suspended publications to join the demonstrations.

The episode has laid bare a structural tension within Ukraine’s wartime apparatus between a technology-first reform agenda and a more traditional military hierarchy. During his brief tenure, Fedorov oversaw a sharp increase in drone procurement, blocked Russian access to the Starlink satellite network, and launched an audit that reportedly uncovered large-scale corrupt contracts. Western officials, including the European Union’s defence commissioner, expressed surprise and sought clarification from Kyiv, while pro-Kremlin military bloggers welcomed the removal of a figure they regarded as an unusually effective adversary. Ukrainian media have reported that Fedorov’s efforts to overhaul procurement and introduce new contract models for soldiers antagonised entrenched interests within the defence establishment.

Viewed from Kyiv, the reshuffle marks the second major government overhaul in less than a year and follows a pattern in which Zelensky has removed officials whose independent popularity was seen as a potential political challenge. Analysts at the Ukrainian think-tank community note that the president retains the constitutional authority to appoint the defence minister, but the scale of the protests and dissent within his own Servant of the People party have introduced uncertainty. Several lawmakers have threatened to vote against Klymenko’s confirmation, and the parliamentary arithmetic remains fluid. The dossier is expected to move to a formal vote in the Verkhovna Rada in the coming days, with the outcome dependent on whether Zelensky can secure sufficient support amid the most visible public backlash of the war.