Several dozen protesters gathered outside Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on Tuesday, Aug. 18, as lawmakers were expected to consider the appointment of a new defense minister.
The protesters are demanding that Mykhailo Fedorov be reinstated as defense minister after his dismissal, which he has criticized as unjustified. Fedorov previously said his efforts to implement reforms and resistance from the bureaucracy contributed to his removal.
The Rada was initially scheduled to begin its session at 10 a.m. Kyiv time but will now convene at noon.
The protesters were chanting “Shame!” and “Servants of the people, come out to the people.”
Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether lawmakers will vote on a new defense minister at all.
According to MP Oleksiy Honcharenko, President Volodymyr Zelensky had not yet submitted candidates for either defense minister or foreign minister as of Tuesday morning.
“Parliament’s session will begin in an hour and a half. There are no submissions from Zelensky for the ministers of defense and foreign affairs,” Honcharenko wrote on Telegram.
The position of the defense minister has been vacant since July, when Zelensky reshuffled the government and removed Fedorov. His dismissal sparked protests over the government’s handling of defense procurement and wartime spending, with demonstrators continuing to demand his reinstatement.
The controversy also reportedly contributed to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko declining the defense minister post, after which General Yevhen Khmara was appointed acting defense minister.
Khmara, a senior special forces officer, is credited with overseeing Operation Spider’s Web, which Ukraine said destroyed a significant portion of Russia’s strategic aviation.
However, his appointment has raised questions because he is an active-duty military officer, while Ukraine’s Constitution requires the defense minister to be a civilian.
It remains unclear whether Khmara has left active military service or whether Zelensky will nominate another candidate. The decision could further fuel political tensions and protests surrounding the defense ministry and the government’s wartime governance.