Protesters gathered in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy moved to replace Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a decision that also triggered objections from lawmakers and exposed a serious dispute over military leadership.
Mostly young demonstrators in the capital carried signs supporting Fedorov and accusing the government of undermining the war effort. A separate rally took place in central Kyiv's Ivan Franko Square, while protests were reported elsewhere in the country. Zelenskyy said he understood the public reaction and was listening to it.
Fedorov, 35, had served as defence minister only since January. He was credited by supporters with accelerating technological change, using battlefield data, reforming procurement and challenging corruption and bureaucracy. Before taking the post, he led the digital transformation ministry, helped organize a volunteer cyber campaign after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and developed the Army of Drones fundraising effort.
The immediate rupture centred on relations with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Fedorov said he had proposed replacing Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov. He later agreed to try to work with Syrskyi after Zelenskyy declined to make that change, but said defence-ministry initiatives continued to be blocked.
Zelenskyy acknowledged that friction between the General Staff and the ministry was systemic and existed at multiple levels. Syrskyi responded briefly, emphasizing his focus on the war and military strategy while wishing Fedorov success.
The replacement process was unsettled during the day. Lawmakers had been expected to consider Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, but Zelenskyy said no formal nomination had been submitted and that Klymenko was one of several possibilities. By evening, the president put forward Major-General Yevhenii Khmara, acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine, as acting defence minister. Zelenskyy cited Khmara's experience in technology-driven combat operations.
Fedorov said Zelenskyy had offered him an advisory role, which he declined. He nevertheless avoided a direct break with the president and expressed confidence that Zelenskyy would respond to public concerns. Several military and technology figures were more forceful: drone commander Pavlo Yelizarov resigned as deputy commander of the air force in protest, while former advisers praised Fedorov's record and criticized obstacles to reform.
The dispute unfolded while Ukraine remained at war with Russia, making command cohesion and defence procurement matters of immediate national security. Supporters viewed Fedorov's emphasis on drones, innovation and asymmetric tactics as central to Ukraine's capacity to compete.
The demonstrations did not determine who would permanently lead the ministry. They did, however, turn an internal leadership conflict into a visible public test for Zelenskyy's wartime administration.
