Thousands protest Zelensky's dismissal of Defense Minister

Thousands of protesters gathered in cities across Ukraine on Thursday, July 16, 2026, to oppose President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to dismiss Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as part of a broader government reshuffle. Demonstrations broke out in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, and Kharkiv, marking the second major wave of street protests since large-scale anti-corruption demonstrations in July 2025.

Fedorov, 35, was appointed defense minister in January 2026 and quickly became one of Ukraine’s most popular officials. He was widely credited with modernizing the military, accelerating drone production, and driving technology-focused reforms that contributed to recent battlefield gains. His dismissal came without an official explanation, though reports of tension between Fedorov and the armed forces commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, had surfaced in recent weeks. Some analysts have suggested that Fedorov’s anti-corruption efforts and his push to restructure procurement angered established interests within the defense industry.

The protests began immediately after the daily minute of silence. In Kyiv, more than a thousand people assembled in a central square, waving Ukrainian...