Mass civil demonstrations swept Kiev, Lviv, Odessa, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Rivne, Ivano-Frankivsk, Nikolaev and Dnipro.
Citizens are demanding the immediate reinstatement of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was dismissed from his post during a large-scale government reshuffle undertaken by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to publications by Censor.NET, this is already the 19th consecutive day of discontent. Protesters carry handmade posters with slogans such as “Bring back Fedorov“ and express strong concern that his removal threatens the modernization of the army.
Why did the crisis in Kiev come to this?
Mykhailo Fedorov took over the leadership of the military department in January 2026 and quickly gained public trust with his focus on digitalization, procurement reforms and the mass deployment of combat drones. The Information Agency UNIAN and foreign media such as The BBC noted that his removal was the result of a long-running conflict with the military high command.
- Technological clash: Fedorov insisted on a transition to asymmetric high-tech warfare.
- Changes in command: Public pressure has already led to the dismissal of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, who was replaced by General Mihailo Drapati. However, tensions remain high.
- Fedorov's position: The former minister himself announced to The New York Timesthat he would not join the political opposition during the war, but refused to accept any position other than that of the Department of Defense.