Hundreds of people gathered in Kyiv on Thursday to protest President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to remove Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The dismissal is part of a broader cabinet reshuffle that included the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and the nomination of Naftogaz CEO Serhii Koretskyi to replace her. Following the announcement of Fedorov's departure, Pavlo Yelizarov, the deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, resigned his post in protest, as did several members of parliament.
Fedorov, 35, served as defense minister for six months. A former head of digital transformation, he was credited by military analysts and officials for modernizing drone technology and e-government platforms. During his tenure, he focused on addressing troop desertion and improving logistics. While Fedorov has not officially been removed by a formal decree, he posted a summary of his achievements on social media Wednesday following media reports of his impending ouster.
President Zelenskyy stated that the cabinet changes are intended to prepare the country for winter and strengthen foreign policy implementation. However, some officials suggest the move stems from political friction between Fedorov and senior military leaders, including Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Zelenskyy defended the nomination of Koretskyi for prime minister, citing the need for energy sector expertise to manage wartime infrastructure challenges.