WorldMykhailo Fedorov was Ukraine’s fourth defence minister to serve in the role since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country, but the first whose ouster has led to public backlash.Thousands gather in cities to protest dismissal of Mykhailo FedorovBriar Stewart · CBC News · Posted: Jul 16, 2026 2:39 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 6 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.People protest in Kyiv on Thursday against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to replace Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister, amid Russia’s attack on the city. (Thomas Peter/Reuters)Mykhailo Fedorov was Ukraine’s fourth defence minister to serve in the role since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country, but the first whose ouster has led to public backlash and triggered a political crisis.After it was revealed on Wednesday that the popular and tech-savvy politician was being dismissed from his role, thousands of people across Ukraine began protesting. A pro-government media platform announced its staff were pausing work to take part in the rallies.A deputy commander of Ukraine’s air force resigned in protest and online there was a surge of comments urging President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to change course."When it comes to this decision, I definitely don’t trust the government," said Stefan Dymytrov, 25, who spoke Thursday to a freelance crew working for CBC News at a rally in Kyiv while waving a sign that called Fedorov's dismissal a crime. "Firing Fedorov is totally unnecessary, totally illogical and it goes against our goal."Fedorov, 35, is seen by supporters as a reformist who has tried to make Ukraine's army more efficient by focusing on drone warfare and attempting to rein in overspending on the procurement of weapons and ammunition.Ukraine's outgoing Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov speaks during a media conference in Kyiv on Thursday. (AFP/Getty Images)Dispute with military chiefHis dismissal came after he clashed with Ukraine’s military chief, Col.-Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, 60. In recent days, there had been reports of simmering tension between Fedorov and Syrskyi , who was appointed as commander of Ukraine’s military in 2024, but the rift was laid bare during Fedorov’s media conference on Thursday.While Fedorov praised Syrskyi’s military accomplishments, he added that the nature of war has totally changed and went on to criticize him for overseeing a dysfunctional military culture."When [Zelenskyy] said he did not plan to replace Syrskyi, I ... said I would learn to work with him," Fedorov said during the news conference in Kyiv. But, he added, "all the initiatives we proposed were blocked."Russia, one of the world's biggest oil exporters, moves to import fuel as drone strikes squeeze supplyAnalysisSome Russians are turning on Putin as drones hit Moscow. Does it matter?Afterward, Syrskyi issued a short statement on social media, thanking Fedorov for his work as defence minister, adding that Ukraine needs to focus on the war and on "an effective strategy that is currently demonstrating concrete results. "Fedorov's removal from his post was part of a wider cabinet shuffle that comes as Ukraine steps up pressure on Russia by launching mid- and long-range strikes against its energy infrastructure and transportation routes in and out of Crimea.WATCH | A Canadian company steps in to help Ukraine:The Canadian company arming Ukraine with dronesJuly 8|Duration 4:19Ukraine needs more war drones than it can manufacture and a Canadian company has stepped in to help. CBC’s Jennifer Yoon gets an exclusive look at what’s being built for the battlefield and how it could help Canada modernize its own defence capabilities. | NOTE (July 8, 2026): This video has been edited to remove identifying details of a location.The repeated strikes have triggered gas shortages and left Moscow, one of the world’s largest energy producers, starting to import fuel.Fedorov, who previously served as the country’s minister of digital transformation, appealed to Elon Musk to provide SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet stations to Ukraine in the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukraine’s military now uses tens of thousands of Starlink terminals to provide connectivity in areas near the front lines.In February, Fedorov appealed to Musk again, asking him to block Russia’s unauthorized access to the technology, which had been found affixed to Russian drones in an effort to improve targeting accuracy.Musk complied, with SpaceX switching off all terminals operating in Ukraine except those approved by Kyiv’s Defence Ministry.Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, was asked about the controversy and protests as he hosted outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, on Thursday in Kyiv. (Stefan Rousseau/Getty Images)During a media conference hosted alongside outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Kyiv on Thursday, Zelenskyy acknowledged there was tension between the military leadership and the Defence Ministry, saying that as president he is not supposed to "pick sides in this kind of situation during wartime."No one has yet been appointed to the role of defence minister permanently, but late Thursday Zelensky said he was appointing Yevhenii Khmara, the acting head of Ukraine's SBU domestic security service, as acting defence minister.In a statement, Zelenskyy said he would ask parliament to approve Khmara permanently for the role. Earlier in the day, Zelenskyy said he was confident Fedorov would remain on his team, even though the outgoing defence minister said he had declined an offer to serve as an adviser to the president.A woman holds a sign that accuses Zelenskyy's office of dividing the country during a protest in Kyiv against Fedorov's dismissal from his role of defence minister. (Serhii Moos)'High-risk' political moveMykola Davydiuk, a Ukrainian MP from the opposition party Holos, told CBC News he thinks Fedorov’s removal was the result of a clash between "post-Soviet generals" and younger people pushing for change."We need reforms, we want people to fight for a better state and good governance," Davydiuk said in a phone interview from Kyiv. "I'm not sure that these political games have a place now in the time of war. So I think that is a problem."Natia Seskuria, a senior research fellow with the Royal United Services Institute, called Fedorov’s dismissal a "high-risk" political decision, taken just as Ukraine’s battlefield position had begun to improve.She added that his removal could be quite costly in "political and symbolic terms."WATCH | The shifting dynamics of the war in Ukraine:Putin’s war finally reaches Moscow: What changes now?July 7|Duration 10:12In this extended interview, CBC’s Terence McKenna asks American journalist and Pulitzer-prize winning historian Anne Applebaum about the shifting dynamics of the war in Ukraine and the implications for Russian President Vladimir Putin and European allies.While Ukraine has been launching more strikes against Russia, little has changed when it comes to the situation along the sprawling front line, where both countries remain locked in an attritional war.Part of Fedorov’s role was to boost the depleted ranks of Ukraine’s military. In June, his ministry released a plan that included new contracts, higher salaries and a fresh drive to recruit foreign fighters, but he faced criticism from some military personnel for not rolling out the reforms fast enough."While personnel reshuffles are not new in Ukraine, replacing one of the most popular wartime figures without a convincing public explanation has already triggered rare protests," Seskuria wrote in a statement to CBC News."Even if Kyiv moves quickly to install a successor, the episode will cast doubt on the durability of Ukraine’s defence-governance reform."ABOUT THE AUTHORBriar Stewart is a CBC correspondent, based in London. During her nearly two decades with CBC, she has reported across Canada and internationally. She can be reached at briar.stewart@cbc.ca or on X @briarstewart.Reuters