Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s surprise move to replace popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has caused an outburst of anger from civil society and protests from MPs.
A crowd of mostly young people gathered in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Thursday morning, holding up signs reading “Hands off Fedorov” and “Stop sabotaging victory!” and chanting “Shame!”.
By evening, Zelensky had put forward the name of Maj-Gen Yevhenii Khmara, the acting head of the Security Service (SBU), as acting defence minister.
“Khmara has gained extensive and, in many respects, unprecedented experience with technological combat operations,” Zelensky said.
Initial rumours that the end of Fedorov’s tenure was related to tensions between him and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi were all but confirmed by Fedorov himself and Zelensky.
On Thursday, Fedorov revealed he had suggested to Zelensky that Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov should be replaced.
Zelensky, speaking at a press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, acknowledged that the conflict between the General Staff and the defence ministry had been “systemic” and occurred “at various levels”, and that Syrskyi and Fedorov would only work together with his mediation.