Zelenskyy sacks defence minister Fedorov, protests erupt

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has removed his popular defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, after just six months in office, triggering public protests and exposing a deep rift within Ukraine's military leadership. The decision, part of a broader government reshuffle announced on July -16, 2026, has sparked rare street demonstrations in Kyiv and other cities and prompted criticism from within the armed forces.

Zelenskyy replaced Fedorov amid months of escalating tension between the 35-year-old minister and the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, General Oleksandr Syrskyi. The president confirmed the move on July 16, stating he had asked Major General Yevhenii Khmara, the acting head of the SBU security service, to perform the defense minister's duties on an interim basis. The ministry must ultimately be led by a civilian, and parliament must vote on a permanent appointment, which is not expected until after its summer recess ends on August 18.

Fedorov, a former digital transformation minister credited with championing Ukraine's drone warfare and technological modernization, publicly accused Syrskyi of engineering his removal. In a press conference on July 16, Fedorov...