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The protestors demand that the popular minister gets reinstated.
In Ukraine, an unexpected administrative shake-up has just triggered massive, angry street protests.
Ukraine’s popular Minister of Defense, Mykhailo Fedorov, who has held the position since January 14, 2026, unexpectedly stepped down from his post, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy planning to put forward Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko to lead the defense ministry.
The tech-focused, now former minister of defense rapidly changed how the Ukrainian armed forces fight against the Russian invaders. He was also the man behind getting Russia cut off from the Starlink network and oversaw significant improvements in drone combat capabilities.
“Having received the Ministry of Defense without a budget, taking a risk, taking funds from financial support allocated for the end of the year and effectively investing them in mid-range strike capabilities, fiber-optic FPV drones, low-cost reconnaissance, NRC, interceptor drones, and deep-strike drones. To purchase more drones in four months than in the entire previous year,” Mykhailo Fedorov stated in a post on Telegram.
Public anger erupts
It is unclear why Fedorov is now stepping down as minister of defense, but according to Reuters, there has been tension between Fedorov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
This has led many to speculate that Fedorov was actually fired as minister, and it has not sat well with the public.
In major Ukrainian cities such as Kyiv and Lviv, thousands of protesters are waving flags and carrying signs as they gather outside government offices to loudly voice their disapproval of the dismissal.
According to The Kyiv Independent, protesters chanted “Reappoint!” outside Zelenskyy’s office in Kyiv.
The Ukrainian government-run platform United24 Media has even decided to pause publications, as journalists and other staff members are joining the protests.
“See you there. Slava Ukraini!” a message on United24 Media’s website says.
