Zelenskyy Dismisses Defence Minister Fedorov on Wednesday Evening

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Wednesday evening. Calls for protests in major cities at 09:01 on Thursday emerged on social media within hours, timed to follow the daily nationwide minute of silence for fallen fighters and civilians.

Euronews reported that this marks the first time online mobilisation has spilled onto the streets since last summer's protests in support of Ukraine's anti-corruption watchdogs.

Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran and leading organiser of those earlier demonstrations, posted that the defence minister was being removed in the middle of effective reforms. Koziatynskyi called on people to gather at Franko Square and wrote that Ukraine will never defeat Russia as long as stagnation and corruption rule the army and ministries.

Pavlo Yelizarov, deputy commander of Ukraine's Air Force, announced his resignation on July 16 and stated that Fedorov's removal would cause more casualties and destruction from Russian missile and drone attacks.

Serhii Sternenko, who served as Fedorov's adviser on drone warfare, described the firing as the greatest demoralisation since the war began and called Fedorov the best defence minister in Ukraine's history. Fedorov confirmed the dismissal and posted an account of his six-month tenure, noting that he had not completed the organisational transformation of the ministry to NATO standards.

Fedorov added that a new structure had been put in place, many people made redundant, and numerous processes set in motion.

Euronews reported that the dismissal followed a conflict with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi over proposals for military reform, described by some as a generational clash between a young manager and a traditional general.