KYIV — Demonstrators gathered outside Ukraine’s presidential office on Friday, declaring an indefinite protest and demanding that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy bring back dismissed defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov in what has grown into a full-blown political crisis.
The movement gained its greatest momentum last week, when thousands of Ukrainians flooded the streets calling for Fedorov’s return to his post and the removal of then commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Critics of Syrskyi accused him of showing little regard for soldiers’ lives and dragging his feet on modernizing the military.
Even after Zelenskiy replaced Syrskyi with well-regarded commander Mykhailo Drapatyi, hundreds of demonstrators returned Friday to continue their push. The crowd chanted, “We stood, we stand, and we will stand.”
Protest organizer Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a military veteran, told reporters he believed participants were prepared to keep the rally going “as long as it takes.”
Zelenskiy had previously stated that Fedorov was let go due to an irreconcilable conflict with Syrskyi, and later offered the 35-year-old a choice of new positions, including vice prime minister for defense innovation. Fedorov publicly turned down all of the offers, saying none of the proposed roles came with the real power needed to carry out essential reforms.
Koziatynskyi echoed that sentiment. “We don’t need Fedorov just as a figurehead. We need Fedorov as a young reformer. And unfortunately, the posts offered by the president do not carry sufficient influence or provide the necessary tools to press on with reform,” he said.
Handmade cardboard signs — which have become a defining symbol of the protest — carried messages such as “Bring Fedorov back,” “Fedorov for defence minister,” and “I am here for those who are for me there,” a nod to Ukrainian troops serving on the front lines. One sign written in English read: “Let the manager manage.”
Fedorov has earned widespread praise for bringing technology-driven changes to Ukraine’s military, fighting corruption within the defense sector, and contributing to recent Ukrainian battlefield successes against Russia.
His firing came at a sensitive moment, as Ukrainian forces are pressing attacks on military and energy infrastructure deep inside Russian territory while simultaneously facing deadly Russian air strikes and ongoing ground assaults.
A protester named Anna described the dismissal in stark terms. “It wasn’t people’s hope that was stolen. It was the result,” she said. She also noted, “We don’t have an extra six months to put together a new team, implement new reforms, or for the new minister to get to grips with old issues” — though she acknowledged that acting minister Yevhenii Khmara is an effective official.
Amid the backlash, Zelenskiy has not yet submitted a nomination to parliament to permanently replace Fedorov, who had only led the ministry for about six months. Khmara, who previously served as acting head of Ukraine’s domestic security service, was named acting defense minister in the interim.
