Hundreds of people rallied again in Kiev on Sunday, nearly a month after President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in a government reshuffle that triggered protests across Ukraine.
Footage shows demonstrators carrying Ukrainian flags and signs reading ‘Fedorov is our DefMin’ and ‘Return Fedorov’ as they marched through central Kiev towards the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre. They chanted “The issue is not closed” and ‘Reforms, not schemes’.
Protests began in mid-July following Fedorov’s dismissal, with demonstrators initially also demanding the removal of Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Zelensky later replaced Syrskyi, but the protests continued, with organisers still demanding Fedorov’s reinstatement.
One protester said she believed the repeated demonstrations would eventually have an effect.
“I believe that, in the end, it will lead to some kind of result. But I can already see the president’s position: he is simply ignoring the people,” she said. “It seems to me that the huge amount of trust that the people placed in the president has been exhausted. And I am living proof of that, because I would not vote for the president again after all this.”
“If he (Zelensky) is counting on some future elections after the war, then at this rate he can forget about them,” the protester continued. “And give way to someone who truly cares deeply about Ukraine, is ready to stand up for it, and is willing to listen to its people.”
Fedorov’s removal sparked rallies across Ukraine, with supporters crediting him with driving military technology, drone development and procurement reform.
Zelensky later offered Fedorov the post of deputy prime minister for military innovation. Fedorov rejected the offer, saying he needed the Defence Ministry’s powers to continue implementing his reforms.
The reshuffle also saw Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko leave office, with parliament appointing former Naftogaz chief Sergii Koretskyi as her replacement on July 16.
Source: Viory
