Protests against the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov
Dismissal of a Minister of Defence of Ukraine
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Protests against the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov,[a] sometimes called the pro-Fedorov protests,[1][2][3][4] began on 15 July 2026 after Mykhailo Fedorov, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, was dismissed from his position by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, leading to widespread protests by Ukrainian citizens throughout the country. The dismissal was officially part of a wider cabinet reshuffle being conducted by Zelenskyy for the new Koretskyi Government, but as was widely reported, including by Fedorov and Zelenskyy, infighting between Fedorov and others in the national government played a major role. The dismissal caused significant backlash across Ukraine, resulting in a series of protests and resignations by others in government in the immediate aftermath. As a result of the protests, Zelenskyy dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on 21 July.
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- Cabinet reshuffle for the new Koretskyi Government
- Dispute between Fedorov and Syrskyi
- Spontaneous protests across Ukrainian cities in support of Fedorov
- Resignation of Ukrainian officials in solidarity, including Pavlo Yelizarov, Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force
- Negative commentary towards Zelenskyy by political analysts and politicians
- Dismissal of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi (21 July 2026)
| Protests against the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov | |
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| Date | 15 July 2026 – present |
| Location | Ukraine |
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Since assuming the position as Minister of Defence in January 2026, Fedorov had been popular among Ukrainian soldiers and the public for what was deemed as his effective implementation of new cyber and drone warfare policy, and other policies combatting government bureaucracy. His beliefs, however, often clashed with others in the national government, including Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Their differences grew to a point where the two allegedly would only cooperate under the mediation of Zelenskyy. Reportedly pressured to end tensions, Zelenskyy unexpectedly dismissed Fedorov on 15 July, replacing him with Major-General Yevhenii Khmara as the acting minister until a replacement could be appointed.
In response to the decision, protests took place across several Ukrainian cities in support of Fedorov, including in the capital Kyiv, where over a thousand gathered near the Office of the President of Ukraine demanding Fedorov's return. These protests were sometimes called a Cardboard Maidan,[5] a term also used for the protests to preserve the independence of anti-corruption agencies the previous year.[6][7][8][9] Pavlo Yelizarov, the Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, and other Ukrainian officials resigned from their positions the following day in solidarity. Statements in support of Fedorov were made by several politicians including Ukrainian parliament member Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, EU commissioner Andrius Kubilius, former US ambassador Michael McFaul, and other political analysts and activists. On 21 July, Zelenskyy also dismissed Syrskyi, replacing him with Joint Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi; while protesters hailed this as a step forward, they kept demanding the reinstatement of Fedorov to the Ministry of Defence.
Background
Mykhailo Fedorov had been the Minister of Defence of Ukraine since January 2026.[10] Previously, he had worked as a social media marketer for Zelenskyy during his successful campaign in the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election, as the first Minister of Digital Transformation which oversaw the launch of government web portal Diia,[11] and as founder of the IT Army of Ukraine upon the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[12] While Minister of Defence, Fedorov was described as a "technocrat"[13] and "reformist", and was credited with producing considerable progress towards making Ukraine's military more efficient[12] and modernized, especially in the fields of cyber and drone warfare.[10] Despite falling short of his pledge to effectively combat the Ukrainian conscription crisis and reform recruitment,[12] Fedorov has been regarded as an effective government official[13] and popular among Ukrainian soldiers and the public,[10] with a June 2026 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology ranking Fedorov as one of the public's most trusted figures.[11]
Fedorov's insistence on government reform has on several occasions differed from that of others in the national government and led to tension.[12][11][13] In particular, Fedorov clashed with Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, across multiple issues—once stating that Syrskyi's policies were "splitting our country" that should otherwise be united in defeating Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian war.[10] Fedorov later stated that he had asked Zelenskyy to replace both Syrskyi and Andrii Hnatov, the Chief of the General Staff.[10] During a press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy commented on the situation, stating that tensions had grown to a point where Fedorov and Syrskyi only cooperated when under his mediation.[10]
Throughout mid-July 2026, Zelenskyy began a cabinet reshuffle of several major government positions, beginning with the appointment of Serhii Koretskyi, CEO of the state oil and gas company Naftogaz, as the next Prime Minister of Ukraine after the resignation of Yulia Svyrydenko a week prior.[10] As such, all members appointed in the reshuffle would be part of the new Koretskyi Government.[10]
Dismissal of Fedorov
I would very much like to see unity. The sides have not found it. And the problem lies not only with the sides, but with me as well. But things are as they are. And in such a situation, you have a choice: either one side or the other.
On 15 July 2026, Zelenskyy unexpectedly announced the dismissal of Fedorov, officially as part of his wider cabinet reshuffle.[15][12][10] Major-General Yevhenii Khmara, the former head of Alpha Group of the Security Service of Ukraine, was named by Zelenskyy as the acting Minister of Defence until parliament votes on a replacement.[12] In a post on X, Zelenskyy commented that Khmara had "unprecedented experience with technological combat operations", and supported the notion of him becoming the formal replacement, noting however that Ihor Klymenko, the outgoing Minister of Internal Affairs, was also a candidate.[12] Zelenskyy reportedly offered Fedorov an advisory position in the Koretskyi Government, which he rejected.[16]
During a media brief following his dismissal, Fedorov stated that Zelenskyy had felt pressured to choose between him or Syrskyi, concluding by stating "we will win with this commander-in-chief".[16] UA.NEWS, in an analysis following the media brief, concluded by stating that Fedorov's dismissal was a political move by Zelenskyy to resolve tensions, and that because "sacrificing Syrskyi was too risky, [...] Fedorov was made the scapegoat".[13] Fedorov followed up with a post on Facebook listing his achievements, and vowed to continue fighting against Russia.[10]
By 16 July 2026, Parliament (the Verkhovna Rada) confirmed the formation of the Koretskyi Government and most ministers, but there was still no consensus on who to appoint as the new Ministers of Defence and Foreign Affairs (a prerogative of the Rada upon the submission of the President according to Article 114 of the Constitution of Ukraine[17]), and the Verkhovna Rada went into recess until 18 August 2026.[18]
Protests
Ongoing protests in major cities of Ukraine
nytskyi
Frank.
nivtsi
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"Fedorov's resignation is a gift to Russia."
"In war, there are no holidays."[b]
"Skelya: no! Busification: no! Fedorov: YES!"
The decision to remove Fedorov was met with considerable backlash across Ukraine, with spontaneous protests occurring in the cities of Kyiv, Bila Tserkva, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kharkiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kropyvnytskyi, Lutsk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Poltava, Rivne, Ternopil, Uzhhorod, Vinnytsia, Zaporizhzhia, and Zhytomyr on 16 July,[19][20][21] something noted as uncommon during the Russo-Ukrainian War.[12] In the capital Kyiv, more than a thousand protesters gathered outside near the Office of the President of Ukraine to call for the return of Fedorov: chanting "Shame!", and carrying signs with phrases including "For what?", "Hands off Fedorov", "Stop sabotaging victory!", and "The Russians are celebrating".[10][12] Although the appointment of Yevhenii Khmara (widely respected in military circles) as acting Minister of Defence was regarded more positively by the protesters than Zelenskyy's initial suggestion of then Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, many demonstrators felt Khmara was not the right person for the job, which in their view, Fedorov had been doing very well until his sudden dismissal.[22]
Protests continued into 17 July near the Office of the President of Ukraine, demanding the removal of Syrskyi instead of Fedorov.[23] By that second day, the focus had begun shifting from Fedorov's dismissal towards Syrskyi's leadership, with Fedorov's former adviser Serhii Sternenko criticising some of Syrskyi's past decisions in a livestream.[22]
During the second and third day of protests (17–18 July), the slogan "Syrskyi out!" (Ukrainian: Сирський геть!, romanized: Syrskyi hetj!) was commonly expressed by demonstrators.[22] Meanwhile, the high number of ongoing consultations President Zelenskyy had been holding with many senior military commanders from 17 July onwards were generally being assessed as him seriously considering a successor to Syrskyi.[22][24] Zelenskyy also maintained contact with Fedorov, offering him various alternative positions in the government, including as deputy prime minister or as presidential adviser for military modernisation, but Fedorov repeated he would only be willing to return as Minister of Defence.[22]
On 20 July, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the capital city of Kyiv, as well other cities.[22] Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Presidential Office, positively acknowledged the concerns voiced by the protesters, saying they had been "heard", and that options about how to address the situation were actively being considered.[24] Moreover, he complimented such peaceful protests as a sign of healthy civic engagement which would strengthen rather than divide Ukrainian society.[24] At the end of 20 July, the protesters announced a three-day pause to grant the government time to comply to their demands, or otherwise face an even larger demonstration on 24 July.[22] The presidential office seemed to be hoping that a dismissal of Syrskyi might be sufficient to stem the tide, although neither Fedorov nor the protesters appeared to consider that enough.[22]
An opinion poll taken by Rating Group on 20–21 July showed a surge in trust ratings amongst Ukrainians for Fedorov from 35% to 65% in the course of one week.[25] 72% of respondents did not support Fedorov's dismissal, 17% was indifferent, and only 5% agreed with it.[25] Meanwhile, Syrskyi's trust ratings fell from 39% to 23% over the same period.[25] Zelenskyy was in fourth place at 59%, while the most popular figure remained Valerii Zaluzhnyi (Commander-in-Chief, 2021–2024) at 70% trust. In the same poll, 22.3% of respondents said they would vote for Zelenskyy in the first round of a presidential election, while 14.9% would vote for Zaluzhnyi and 13.4% for Fedorov.[25]
Dismissal of Syrskyi and Hnatov
On 20 July 2026, Syrskyi made a public apology to Fedorov in a column on Militarnyi, saying he did not know there had been conflict between them.[26] Syrskyi wrote: "For me, it was a surprise to learn that the minister and I had a conflict. I saw our relationship as a working one, with difficult questions and different positions. That is how it should be between two institutions during a great war. If I offended someone with something: Mykhailo Albertovych [Fedorov], I'm sorry. I can be tough."[26][27] Syrskyi rarely gives interviews or otherwise participates in public debate, so this statement was seen as exceptional.[28] Around the same time, several media began asserting that Zelenskyy was considering replacing Syrskyi as well.[28][29]
Late on 21 July 2026, Zelenskyy announced that Syrskyi had also been dismissed from his position as Commander-in-Chief, although without stating a reason for doing so.[31] As replacement, Joint Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi was appointed the new Commander-in-Chief.[30]
Fedorov responded positively to Drapatyi's installation, saying it brought "new air and new hope in the struggle of free people for freedom and justice. (...) This is the voice of change that could not go unheard."[30] Despite the compromise, protests continued with the ongoing demand of reinstating Fedorov and questioning why the Svyrydenko Government initially resigned.[32] Another large-scale rally was announced for 24 July 2026, with protest organiser and veteran Dmytro Koziatynskyi saying "We still gotta bring back Fedorov", adding that it would become an "indefinite protest" if their demand was not met.[33] According to Rating Group's opinion poll, 55% of Ukrainians said they agreed with Syrskyi's dismissal, while 15% opposed it, and 19% was indifferent.[25]
On 22 July, the President also dismissed Andrii Hnatov as Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine, replacing him with the Deputy Chief and former Air Assault Forces commander Ihor Skybiuk.[34] Dismissing Hnatov and Syrskyi had been the condition Fedorov previously made for returning as Defence Minister.[35][5] On 23 July, Fedorov said Zelenskyy had once again offered him various other positions, saying "I'm grateful to the president for all the options offered," but "I will not accept any position other than defense minister".[36] Fedorov added: "No other role carries the actual authority to combat procurement corruption, complete the army's transformation, plan and execute asymmetric operations against the enemy, root out a culture of lies and unaccountability within the system. Our collective results created something unprecedented, a window of opportunity to force Russia into peace through strength. And we cannot afford to lose it."[37] Zelenskyy confirmed these negotiations.[38]
24 July
| External videos | |
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 Наживо Масштабний Мітинг У Києві (Livestream: Mass Rally in Kyiv; 2 hours, 13 minutes) by Suspilne on Ivan Franko Square, Kyiv, 24 July 2026. |
On 24 July, protesters took to the streets of Kyiv and other cities for the ninth consecutive day, announcing that they would not cease pressuring the presidency until Fedorov was reinstated as Minister of Defence.[39] Starting with around 1,000 people at 21:00 and more coming in later,[40] eventually some 2,000 to 3,000 protesters gathered at Ivan Franko Square,[41] singing the national anthem of Ukraine,[40] and chanting "Fedorov! Fedorov!", "Bring him back!", "There was no reason to sack him, so he must be reinstated", "With Fedorov and Drapatyi you can't defeat us!", "There's one Mykhailo, now we need another!", and addressing Zelenskyy with "You broke it, now fix it!" (or: "You messed up – fix it!"[41]).[42][43] Informal aid points were set up, offering free WIFI and free phone charging, as well as tea, water and sweets.[41] Many demonstrators also protested the appointment of Vitalii Kim to the Ministry for Veterans Affairs (Ukraine) over Natalia Kalmykova, who was an actual veteran; slogans such as "A veteran at Veteran Affairs" («Ветерана в МінВет») and "A veteran, not Kim" («Ветерана, а не Кіма») were heard and seen frequently.[43][41][40] Some 40 Ukrainian protesters rallied at the Embassy of Ukraine in Prague, Czech Republic in solidarity, with one protester saying: "Ukrainian society once again demonstrates that Ukraine has democracy, and the source of power is the people. We fully support the demands of the protests taking place in Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine. This is the demand to return Mykhailo Fedorov to the post of head of the Ministry of Defense and the demand that the Ministry of Veterans Affairs be headed by a representative of this very demographic group."[44]
In Kharkiv, protesters rallied at Freedom Square, chanting slogans including: "Reforms must continue", "There's one Mykhailo, now we need another", and "We are not Russia, the people are the power".[43] After a missile threat was issued, the protests continued underground in the Kharkiv Metro stations.[43] In Ivano-Frankivsk, at the ninth day of continuous protests, about 100 demonstrators defied a thunderstorm to demand Fedorov back in the Defence Ministry, chanting "The government is the people!", "Serve Ukraine, not yourself!", "Bring Fedorov back!", "Drapaty and Fedorov — death to Muscovites!"[45] In Lviv, residents chanting "The people are the power!" («Влада — це народ!») gathered on Freedom Avenue for the 10th time in Fedorov's favour, having held two rallies on 16 July, and one every day since, despite the announcement of a 3-day pause.[46] As many protesters could only attend rallies after work, being tired and not having had dinner yet, some volunteers began handing out fresh food and drinks for free to enable their participation.[46] One Lviv protester characterised the president's behaviour as childish: "The news of Zelensky offering Fedorov a first, third, fifth, tenth position [other than Minister of Defence] reminds me of my childhood, whenever I wanted to do anything, not just my mother's request."[46]
Reactions
Domestic
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| Protests in Dnipro, July 2026. Some cardboard texts read: "Hands off Fedorov." "Don't mess with what works." "Fedorov's resignation is a gift to the Russians."[c] "The country needs reforms." |
"The Defence Minister changes more often than a soldier is at home". "They sacked the wrong person." "The only source of power in Ukraine is the people." "The troops need E-points, and not E-diots."[d] |
Pavlo Yelizarov, the Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, resigned from his position in protest of Fedorov's removal, calling the decision a "great evil for the country's defence capability".[10] Serhii Sternenko, a Ukrainian activist and advisor to Fedorov, also stated his resignation as an advisor in the Ministry of Defence in solidarity.[15] Sternenko further called Fedorov the "best minister of defence in our entire history", and reprimanded government bureaucracy which prevented further reform from happening.[10][14] Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, a parliament member and opposition lawmaker, strongly opposed the dismissal, stating that Fedorov was only removed as he tried to combat "Syrskyi, the old army system, and everybody who is linked with corruption in the military sphere", further stating that "Zelensky chooses Klymenko because he has no ambition [...] and is not going to combat post-Soviet generals. He is 100% a person who Zelensky needs in this position".[15] Iryna Herashchenko, a parliament member of the opposition party European Solidarity, questioned Zelenskyy's decision and called Fedorov his "only sensible appointment".[14] Dmytro Kozatskyi, a fighter in the Azov Brigade and recipient of the Medal "For Military Service to Ukraine", posted on X it was "no longer possible to tolerate what's happening with our government", and urged Ukrainians to join in peaceful protests.[15][47]
Serhii Sydorenko, a Ukrainian journalist and editor-in-chief of European Pravda, compared the dismissal to Zelenskyy's attempt to remove anti-corruption bodies last year, also resulting in a series of protests.[15] His decision to go through with both measures, however necessary, was regarded as having "devastating consequences for trust" from the public.[15] Volodymyr Fesenko, a Ukrainian political scientist, noted harm in replacing such a major position after only half a year and opposed the dismissal from happening.[15] Denys Davydov, a Ukrainian citizen journalist who operates the most-subscribed YouTube channel by an individual on the Russo-Ukrainian war, called the decision the "worst thing for Ukraine" in a thirty-minute video.[48] Several Ukrainian businessmen: including Garik Korogodsky, Kostiantyn Yefymenko, and Oleg Gorokhovskyi, also made statements online in support of Fedorov.[49]
The Kyiv Independent, in an editorial, expressed the view that the dismissal "bears all the hallmarks of Zelenskyy's tendency to dismiss top officials and commanders who get too popular".[50][51] In subsequent articles, the Kyiv Independent attributed Zelenskyy's decision to the conflict between Fedorov and Syrskyi,[52] and said in an analysis piece that although there had been theories that Zelenskyy had felt politically threatened by Fedorov or that Fedorov had been too successful in stopping corruption, "the most popular theory proved to be correct" that Zelenskyy had acted because of Fedorov's conflict with Syrskyi.[53]
International
Dmitry Peskov, Russian diplomat and Kremlin Press Secretary, stated the dismissal does not affect Russia unless the replacement is someone willing to "make the responsible decision [and allow] a peaceful settlement",[54] further stating that they were monitoring the situation.[12] Russian military bloggers responded more positively to the dismissal, noting Fedorov's effectiveness and how his removal could help Russia on the frontline.[55] Other bloggers spread theories that the dismissal was to prevent Fedorov from becoming too powerful and usurping Zelenskyy.[55] This notion was at least partially supported by the Qatari-based media outlet Al Jazeera and UK-based The Guardian, which both noted that the decision to dismiss Fedorov could be an attempt by Zelenskyy to remove a future political rival.[55][51] According to the Kyiv Post Russian milibloggers expressed concern when Syrskyi was replaced with Drapatyi due to protests noting as a result of Drapatyi rising ranks during wartime he has a greater understanding of the modern battlefield but doubted Drapatyi would be allowed to stay in the position for long. Many Russian milibloggers believed Drapatyi would be more aggressive. [56]
Andrius Kubilius, a Lithuanian politician and the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, stated the announcement came as a surprise to the European Union and raised concerns,[13] as the EU just hours prior had negotiated a deal with Ukraine to increase their production of drones.[54] Michael McFaul, the former United States ambassador to Russia, issued a statement directed towards Zelenskyy urging the return of Fedorov.[14] Alex Karp, American billionaire and CEO of Palantir, reportedly sent Fedorov a supportive message and offered him a job, which Fedorov declined.[11][54]
Unlike the 2025 anti-corruption protests in Ukraine, the 2026 pro-Fedorov protests have generally not seen widespread pressure from Ukraine's Western (European and North American) allies to reverse a controversial presidential decision.[5] In part, this is because it is very rare in European diplomacy to demand another government to dismiss one official or appoint another.[5] The pro-Fedorov protests demonstrated that peaceful public pressure from Ukraine's own citizens was enough to compel the President to listen to their demands, and fulfil at least some of them after several days of ongoing rallies.[5] Reputable Western media assessed Syrskyi's successor Drapatyi (born 1982) to be an experienced and respected commander, representing a younger generation of officers, shaped by the current Russo-Ukrainian war rather old-fashioned Soviet-Muscovite military doctrine.[57] Radio Svoboda commented: "Virtually every Western publication has mentioned an episode from the new military commander’s combat record, which has made him widely known. In 2014, Drapatyi spectacularly broke through the barricades of pro-Russian militants in Mariupol,"[57] which became an Internet meme and was combined with Sabaton's 2005 song "Primo Victoria".[58][59][60][61]
See also
- 2025 anti-corruption protests in Ukraine, which after five days of widespread protests led to the Verkhovna Rada and Zelenskyy reversing their position and restoring the independence of the anti-corruption agencies
Notes
- Protesting against Parliament going in recess from 16 July to 18 August, during which it cannot appoint a new Minister of Defence or Foreign Affairs.
- Росіяни Rosiyany means "inhabitants of Russia".
- There is a word play between Є-бали ye-baly (lit. "E-points" in Ukraine's battle management system, awarded for good military performance) and Є-блани ye-blany (lit. "fuckers"; from єбланіть, yeblanitj, "to fuck"; or "idiots", but with an "E-" as in "E-mail"). Therefore, it reads something like "E-diots", which is popular slang among young Ukrainians when criticising something digital that does not work properly.
