KYIV—Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities as protests over President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov entered a fourth day, highlighting rare public dissent during the country's war with Russia and exposing divisions within Ukraine's military and political leadership.
The demonstrations followed Zelenskyy's decision to remove Fedorov as part of a broader government reshuffle announced this week. Protesters called for Fedorov's reinstatement and criticized the decision to remove a minister widely credited with advancing Ukraine's military technology and drone capabilities. Organizers and media reports said rallies were held in Kyiv as well as several regional cities, with participants including veterans, volunteers and civilians.
Zelensky has defended the dismissal, saying the relationship between the defence ministry and the military's senior command had broken down and that wartime leadership required unity. Speaking after the reshuffle, he said he had been forced to choose between competing leadership camps after what he described as a prolonged dispute involving Defence Minister Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Fedorov has publicly disputed the circumstances surrounding his removal, accusing senior military leadership of obstructing reforms and resisting changes intended to modernize Ukraine's armed forces. His statements intensified an unusually public disagreement within Ukraine's wartime leadership but did not include evidence independently verified by Reuters.
The controversy has prompted concern among some lawmakers, military personnel and Western observers, who have questioned whether the leadership changes could complicate defence reforms while Ukraine continues to confront Russian forces. Several reports also said Zelensky was reviewing broader changes to the military leadership as political pressure mounted, although no final decision had been officially announced.
Despite the protests, Ukrainian authorities have not announced any reversal of the dismissal. The government has continued with its cabinet reshuffle while emphasizing that maintaining an effective wartime command structure remains its priority. As of July 19, demonstrations had remained largely peaceful, and officials had not reported major security incidents linked to the rallies.
