Ukrainians have taken to the streets in recent weeks to voice their concerns over the sudden removal of the country’s reformist defense minister. Rolling protests in Kyiv and cities across Ukraine have sparked the biggest political crisis since the start of the full-scale war and have highlighted the continued strength of the Ukrainian population’s democratic instincts.
The remarkable readiness of ordinary Ukrainians to defend their rights and hold their elected officials accountable in the midst of a national fight for survival is one of the most striking differences between modern Ukraine and Russia. It is also a key reason why Russian President Vladimir Putin is so determined to extinguish Ukrainian independence once and for all.
Nationwide protests began on July 15 in response to the dismissal of Ukraine’s innovative young defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov as part of a major government reshuffle. During his six months at the helm of the defense ministry, thirty-five-year-old Fedorov had helped Ukraine regain the battlefield initiative against Russia by enhancing the country’s drone warfare capabilities, while also taking steps to combat deeply entrenched corruption within the defense sector.
