New Delhi: More than a thousand Ukrainians gathered outside President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office in Kyiv Thursday, chanting “shame” and demanding the reinstatement of Mykhailo Fedorov, the country’s popular and reform-minded defence minister, who was removed from office after serving for six months.
Protesters carried placards asking “For what?”, and warning that “the Russians are celebrating”. Some demanded the removal of Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, instead. Fedorov’s ousting followed a prolonged disagreement with Syrskyi over the direction of Ukraine’s military reforms.His dismissal was announced Wednesday as part of Zelenskyy’s second major government reshuffle in a year. The changes also saw Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko leave office, with Zelenskyy endorsing Naftogaz chief Sergii Koretskyi as her successor.
Speaking at a joint press conference during British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Kyiv Thursday, Zelenskyy said: “If the sides can’t resolve an issue, I will have to resolve it. Together we win, and together we’re responsible for the things that cause confusion and public reaction.”Starmer’s trip to Kyiv, his final overseas visit as prime minister, coincided with renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine. An overnight missile strike on Kyiv killed two people and wounded five, while separate attacks Wednesday killed at least six people elsewhere in the country, including three in the southern port city of Odesa.
