Protests spread across Ukraine as parliament prepares to vote on wartime government
Hundreds of people have protested in central Kyiv after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, with demonstrations also reported in Lviv, Odesa and Dnipro. Crowds gathered near the Ivan Franko National Theatre, close to the presidential office, and called on Zelenskyy to reverse the decision. The protests came as Ukraine's parliament prepared to vote on a new wartime government later on Thursday.
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Local reports said demonstrators in Kyiv chanted "Shame!" and carried placards reading "The Russians are celebrating". The dismissal is part of a wider government overhaul that also saw Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko leave office. Lawmakers were expected to consider several senior appointments, including Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as the next defence minister and energy executive Serhii Koretskyi as prime minister.
Fedorov has been credited by supporters with reforming defence procurement, tackling corruption and pushing a more data-driven approach to the war effort. He previously served as Ukraine's first minister for digital transformation and has been associated with programmes to expand domestic drone production. In a message on X, he said it had been "a great honour to serve the Ukrainian people" and pointed to what he described as achievements including disabling Starlink access for Russian forces.
The protests matter because they come during Russia's full-scale invasion, when Ukraine's defence institutions remain under pressure and personnel changes can quickly become political flashpoints. Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that he wanted the Ministry of Defence and military leadership to work with greater unity, suggesting the reshuffle is tied to wartime coordination. The move is also Zelenskyy's second cabinet reshuffle in a year, underlining the continuing instability of Ukraine's wartime governing arrangements.
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The demonstrations also echo earlier public pressure near the presidential office, including last July's so-called cardboard protest, when criticism forced Zelenskyy to reverse a measure that had stripped anticorruption agencies of their independence. That earlier episode showed how quickly public anger can shape decisions in Kyiv when reforms are seen as undermining accountability. In this case, supporters of Fedorov say he won backing for efforts to streamline bureaucracy, while critics argue he did not move fast enough on military recruitment reform.
What remains unclear is whether parliament will approve the proposed new cabinet line-up and how far the protests may spread beyond the cities already reporting them. It is also not yet clear whether Zelenskyy will give a fuller explanation for Fedorov's removal or whether further changes will follow in the defence leadership. The next key development is the parliamentary vote and any response from the president or senior military figures.
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