Several thousand Ukrainians marched through central Kyiv on Friday, sending a clear message to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that opposition remains strong to his decision to dismiss Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who is widely credited with spearheading military innovation during Ukraine's war with Russia.
Fedorov, who had led the wartime ministry since January, was removed in a surprise government reshuffle in mid-July without a clear explanation.
Since then, demonstrators have gathered outside the presidential office, calling for his reinstatement after he declined an offer to take another government position.
"I don't like it when decisions are made, and then no one can explain why they were made," said Oleksandr, a 40-year-old IT worker.
Zelenskyy initially said he removed Fedorov because of a major conflict with then-Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, whom he dismissed a week later amid public pressure sparked by the crisis. But speculation grew that Fedorov was forced out because of his efforts to tackle alleged corruption in the defense sector. Fedorov appeared to lend weight to those claims in a recent interview, though he provided no details.
