Ukraine protests erupt over Zelenskyy's dismissal of popular Defense Minister Fedorov

In Ukraine, people have been demonstrating for days against President Zelenskyy's government reshuffle. The protests now appear to be becoming more sustained.

25 July 2026 | 12:39 Uhr

Protest actions against the dismissal of Defense Minister Fedorov, like here in Kyiv on July 18, have been taking place for days in many Ukrainian cities. Photo: Efrem Lukatsky/AP/dpa

From Kyiv and Rivne

Julia Surkowa and Viktoriia Stadnychuk

"Reforms instead of machinations," chanted hundreds in downtown Kyiv on Friday evening. In Ukraine, people are currently protesting in many places against the dismissal of the popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Ukrainians have already given these protests the name "Maidan with cardboard signs" because demonstrators write their slogans on pizza boxes and shipping cartons. On this evening, however, most signs bore only one demand: "Give us back Fedorov!"

Background

The trigger for the protests was President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision in mid-July to dismiss Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who became extremely popular in the country due to:

• His successes in the mass production and use of drones
• The blockade of Russian Starlink military terminals
• The development of attacks on military targets on Russian territory

This was preceded by a conflict between Fedorov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi. On July 22, the Ukrainian president dismissed the latter under pressure from street protests. He was replaced by General Mykhailo Drapatyi, who is considered a more modern and also more humane commander. This change was able to somewhat mitigate the anger in Ukrainian society. But protesters remain convinced that the government must meet all their demands.

"Power Belongs to the People"

"From today, the protests will continue indefinitely. I don't think Zelenskyy will make a decision quickly, because this seems to be a struggle over spheres of influence. My friends and I will stay here until the end. We will come every day until the president listens to us," says 24-year-old political science student Yaroslav Bilyavskyi.

Behind Yaroslav, protesters are setting up a photo backdrop with cardboard figures of Fedorov and Drapatyi, Ukrainian flags, and the slogan "Thank you for Drapatyi. But what about Fedorov?"

As in previous days, numerous soldiers, students, and families with children had come. Many people were there with their dogs, with small cardboard signs attached to their collars reading "Give us back Fedorov, or I'll bite." People had drums, chanting "Power belongs to the people."

War in Ukraine

With the invasion on February 24, 2022, Russia's large-scale war of aggression against Ukraine began. The annexation of Crimea had already taken place in March 2014, and shortly thereafter the conflict in the eastern Ukrainian regions erupted.

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