Protests Planned Over Fedorov's Dismissal as Defense Minister

Ukrainian activists are calling for protests against President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to dismiss now-former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

According to Financial Times’ chief correspondent in Kyiv, Christopher Miller, a rally is planned on Thursday ahead of an expected parliamentary vote to approve a new cabinet.

“The organizers of last July’s big demo against Zelensky’s moves against the independent National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) are telling Ukrainians to meet at the same square at 9:01 a.m. Thursday,” Miller wrote on X.

He added: “It’s clear that a large segment of Ukrainian society is deeply unhappy about the president’s decision, particularly because he [Zelensky] has not given a clear reason for it.” 

Lack of explanation for Fedorov’s dismissal as key grievance

Fedorov’s dismissal comes as part of a broader cabinet reshuffle that also saw Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko dismissed, with Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko named as Fedorov’s likely successor. 

According to Reuters, opposition lawmaker Inna Sovsun of the Holos party said she was “very frightened” at the potential for new instability at the ministry. 

“Previously, Denys Shmyhal was the minister for half a year, he promised something, started to fulfill it and was fired,” she said, adding that “if the same story repeats itself with Mykhailo Fedorov, it will not be funny at all.”

Volodymyr Fesenko, a political scientist and director at the Pento Center for Political Studies warned that firing Fedorov could disrupt important army reforms while Ukraine fights to gain the upper hand against Russia – a concern shared by opposition lawmakers, as per the same Reuters report.

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Echoes of last year’s protests

The chosen venue carries symbolic weight. 

In July 2025, thousands of Ukrainian citizens gathered near the Ivan Franko Theatre, after the parliament voted to strip the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) of their independence.

The protest was described as one of the largest anti-government protests in Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, as the demonstrations spread to multiple cities and ultimately prompted Zelensky to restore agencies’ independence within days. 

Fedorov, who took over the Defense Ministry in January 2026 after previously serving as deputy prime minister and digital transformation minister, had already faced calls for his resignation earlier this month after a violent mobilization clash in Lviv sparked criticism from lawmakers, including from Member of the Ukrainian Parliament Roman Kaptielov, according to UNN.