Zelenskyy sacks Fedorov, sparking protests over Ukraine war shake-up

Kyiv,UPDATED: Jul 16, 2026 19:40 IST

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has overhauled Ukraine's wartime government, removing Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and replacing the prime minister, in a move that has triggered protests and could test his political authority as the war with Russia nears four-and-a-half years. Hundreds of mostly young Ukrainians took to the streets in Kyiv and other cities to oppose Fedorov's removal, seeing him as a moderniser who helped drive the country's successful use of drone technology.

The reshuffle comes at a sensitive moment for Ukraine, with its operations against Russia beginning to show results even as Moscow continues heavy aerial attacks. Overnight, Russian missiles struck Kyiv, killing two people and wounding five others, including a child, according to Ukraine's Emergency Service.

Zelenskyy said the decision followed friction between Fedorov and Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine's armed forces. "I'm just showing that if the sides can't resolve an issue, I will have to resolve it," Zelenskyy said at a news conference. He said the problems between the Defence Ministry and the military existed at multiple levels and were not simply about personalities. "Together we win, and together we're responsible for the things that cause confusion and public reaction," he said alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Fedorov, 35, is widely seen as a forceful moderniser whose technological approach helped improve Ukraine's military performance in recent months against Russia's larger army. He leaves the post after just six months. At a news conference, he accused Syrskyi of blocking reforms that he said were needed because "the war has changed completely" with new technology such as drones. He said he had been willing to work with Syrskyi, "but we encountered a situation in which all the initiatives we proposed began to be blocked". He added, "Under this arrangement (with Syrskyi as commander), I personally do not know how the war can be won."

During his time in office, Fedorov said he had secured restrictions on Russian forces' access to the Starlink satellite communications system, helping Ukraine make better use of its mid-range strike capabilities. On social media, he highlighted what he called his main achievements, including redirecting salary funds into mid-range strike capabilities, fibre-optic drones, reconnaissance systems and other technologies. He also pointed to expanded drone procurement, Patriot missile defence contracts, successful ballistic missile tests and broad changes to military procurement.

At the same time, Fedorov said he had not been able to complete the Defence Ministry's organisational transformation "according to NATO standards and common sense", move all procurement to competitive tenders, or build a culture of accountability. Before becoming defence minister in January, he had led Ukraine's digital transformation efforts and gained popularity for pushing the rapid development and deployment of drone technology and several e-government platforms. As minister, he also moved against corruption and sought to make weapons procurement more transparent. He had promised sweeping military reforms, saying the armed forces had faced about 200,000 desertions and draft-dodging by some 2 million people.

Syrskyi, 60, did not appear in public but thanked Fedorov in a Facebook post and said he hoped he would continue serving Ukraine. "I wish him to continue to remain in the Ukrainian team," he wrote. Syrskyi had led the defence of Kyiv in February 2022 and later oversaw a successful counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region. Zelenskyy said he was considering Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as one of the candidates to replace Fedorov, though it remains unclear when lawmakers will vote on a new defence minister.

The protests reflected the depth of support for Fedorov. Demonstrators chanted, "Syrskyi go away!" and "A European army for a European country!" Kyiv resident Bohdan Huryak said he was "deeply outraged" by the minister's exit. "I'm not deeply invested in the internal political debates, but this is a person who shows results on the battlefield, we see results, we feel the fighting spirit and confidence in victory rising," Huryak told The Associated Press. "And then, six months later, he is removed from office? Come on." Russian military correspondents and pro-Kremlin bloggers welcomed the controversy, with pro-Kremlin analyst Sergei Markov calling Fedorov's remarks a "rebellion" against Zelenskyy.

The fallout widened when Col. Pavlo Yelizarov, deputy commander of Ukraine's air force, resigned over Fedorov's dismissal. In a letter posted on social media, he said the move would weaken Ukraine's air defences and lead to more deaths from Russian missile and drone strikes. "I believe that the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov is a great evil for the country's defence capability," he wrote on Facebook.

Parliament, meanwhile, overwhelmingly approved Serhii Koretskyi, the head of state energy company Naftogaz, as Ukraine's new prime minister. In nominating him, Zelenskyy cited his work in the energy sector and said he was best placed to guide the country through another winter, when Russian attacks on the power grid usually intensify. The government shake-up also recalls July last year, when Zelenskyy quickly reversed a law that would have curbed the independence of anti-corruption watchdogs after large street protests. The latest changes have again brought public anger to the surface as Ukraine tries to manage both the war and pressure at home.

With PTI Inputs

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