Protests and criticism erupted across Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
People protest against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to replace Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Jul 16, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Thomas Peter)
17 Jul 2026 01:28AM
KYIV: Ukraine's ousted defence minister issued stunning public criticism of the army's top commander on Thursday (Jul 16), forcing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to call for unity to halt signs of an emerging split in the military top ranks.Large protests erupted in several Ukrainian cities on Thursday against the removal of popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had been brought in six months ago to digitise and modernise an army fatigued after four years fighting off the Russian invasion.Following Fedorov's removal, Zelenskyy announced Thursday he had appointed Yevgeniy Khmara - head of Ukraine's SBU security service - as acting defence minister."Khmara has gained extensive and, in many respects, unprecedented experience with technological combat operations," Zelenskyy said in a Facebook post.The spiralling leadership row risks throwing uncertainty on the war effort at a time when Ukraine was in one of its best positions for months.Kyiv's troops have largely halted the pace of Russia's advance while pounding Russian oil and military sites with long-range drones, triggering a nationwide fuel crisis inside its neighbour.After being forced to resign, Fedorov on Thursday accused Ukraine's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky of dividing the country."Instead of figuring out how to defeat Russia asymmetrically - which is the commander-in-chief's task - he figured out how to split the country," Fedorov told reporters, including AFP.
