KYIV: Ukraine’s ousted defence minister issued stunning public criticism of the army’s top commander on Thursday, forcing President Volodymyr Zelensky 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, Zelensky announced on 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,” Zelensky 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.
Protests erupt across the country against defence minister’s ouster
