Hundreds of protesters gathered in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Thursday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy moved to dismiss Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as parliament approved a new prime minister in a major government reshuffle.
The political upheaval comes as Ukraine’s war against Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches its fifth year, testing Zelenskyy’s authority during a prolonged conflict, says AP.
The leadership changes unfolded amid continued Russian air attacks. Ukraine’s Emergency Service said two people were killed and five others, including a child, were injured after Russian missiles struck Kyiv overnight.
Ukraine’s parliament approved Serhii Koretskyi, chief of state energy company Naftogaz, as the country’s new prime minister. Zelenskyy nominated Koretskyi, saying his experience in the energy sector made him suitable to prepare Ukraine for another difficult winter, when Russian strikes on power infrastructure are expected to intensify.
Koretskyi won parliamentary approval with 289 votes in favour, one against and 21 abstentions. Fedorov, 35, had served as defence minister for only six months and was regarded as a moderniser whose technological expertise contributed to improvements in Ukraine’s military performance against Russia’s larger forces.
Zelenskyy did not publicly explain the reason behind Fedorov’s expected dismissal and had not immediately announced a replacement. Unconfirmed Ukrainian media reports suggested tensions between Fedorov and Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine’s armed forces, may have influenced the decision.
Syrskyi, 60, is credited with organising Kyiv’s defence during Russia’s initial invasion in February 2022 and later leading a successful counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region. Born in the Soviet Union in 1965, he studied at the Moscow Higher Military Command School before serving in the Soviet Artillery Corps.
The mostly young protesters in Kyiv chanted Fedorov’s name and called for Syrskyi to leave. They also demanded “a European army for a European country”.
Western officials and analysts said Ukraine’s military had benefited from Fedorov’s leadership, slowing Russian advances and carrying out long-range strikes that contributed to fuel shortages in Russia.
Bohdan Huryak, a Kyiv resident who joined the protest, said he was angered by Fedorov’s removal. “I’m not deeply invested in the internal political debates, but this is a person who shows results on the battlefield, we see results, we feel the fighting spirit and confidence in victory rising,” he told The Associated Press.
Similar demonstrations took place in other Ukrainian cities, including Dnipro and the southern port city of Odesa. Ukraine’s air force deputy commander Col. Pavlo Yelizarov resigned following Fedorov’s dismissal.
In his resignation letter, posted on social media, Yelizarov said the decision would weaken Ukraine’s air defence and increase casualties from Russian missile and drone attacks.
“I believe that the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov is a great evil for the country’s defence capability,” he wrote on Facebook. The political backlash follows a similar episode last year when Zelenskyy reversed course after widespread protests against a law that would have reduced the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies.
The demonstrations marked the first major challenge to his leadership since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022.
Before becoming defence minister, Fedorov led Ukraine’s digital transformation efforts and gained public recognition for expanding drone technology and launching government digital platforms.
After taking charge of the defence ministry, he promised major reforms, saying the military faced around 200,000 troop desertions and draft evasion involving about two million people.
Fedorov highlighted several achievements during his short tenure, including redirecting funds towards strike capabilities, fibre-optic drones, reconnaissance systems and other technologies. He also pointed to expanded drone procurement, Patriot missile defence contracts, successful ballistic missile tests and changes to military procurement.
However, he acknowledged that he had not completed the ministry’s transformation to NATO standards, moved all procurement to competitive tenders or created a stronger culture of accountability.
Fedorov said that while many officials had been removed under his authority, “it was necessary to dismiss even more people who were hindering the changes”.
Although Zelenskyy did not formally announce his departure, Fedorov confirmed his dismissal in social media posts on Wednesday night and listed his achievements after days of speculation in Ukrainian media.
