Full story
Fedorov resigns amid protests
Mykhailo Fedorov resigned as Ukraine’s defence minister after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided not to nominate him for the post in the new government, triggering protests in Kyiv and other cities including Lviv, Dnipro, and Mykolaiv.
“You Browser Working London Working www”
In Kyiv, protests continued for the second day as crowds demanded answers about “sudden defence leadership changes” and support for Fedorov, while in Mykolaiv about a hundred people gathered near the I love Mykolaiv art object and walked along Soborna Street to the city hall.
The protests began in the morning of July 16 even before the presentation and approval by the Verkhovna Rada of the new cabinet, and the president tasked the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Yevhen Khmara, on July 16 with performing the duties of the Defense Minister.
Fedorov said the command system had changed and “we cannot go back to what there was,” and he voiced sharp criticism after his resignation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
In parallel, Vatican News reported that Zelenskyy appointed Serhiy Koretsky, CEO of state energy company Naftogaz, as new prime minister as part of a wider government reshuffle following Fedorov’s resignation.
Rift with Syrskyi
Fedorov’s resignation and the protests were tied to a public rift with Oleksandr Syrskyi, with The New Voice of Ukraine saying Fedorov asserted that Syrskyi “systematically blocked all of his reform initiatives” and refused to address problems.
In the same account, Fedorov said Syrskyi “issued an ultimatum” and instead of brainstorming how to defeat Russia asymmetrically, “he came up with a way to divide the country,” while also warning not to underestimate Syrskyi’s capabilities as a military commander.
Global Banking & Finance Review, citing a Reuters report, described Fedorov’s “blistering tirade” at Syrskyi and quoted Fedorov saying, “We hit a situation where all the initiatives we proposed were blocked.”
After the attack, Syrskyi issued a short statement thanking Fedorov for his work as defence minister and called for Ukraine to focus on the war, while the Reuters-based account said he did not comment on the substance of Fedorov’s remarks.
CBS News also reported that Zelenskyy cited friction between Fedorov and Syrskyi and said he was “just showing that if the sides can't resolve an issue, I will have to resolve it.”
Who replaces him, what’s at stake
As the protests continued across Ukraine, the president tasked Yevhen Khmara on July 16 with performing the duties of the Defense Minister, while the Verkhovna Rada was scheduled to vote on ministerial appointments in the newly formed government of Serhii Koretskyi.
“Kyiv, Ukraine — Hundreds of protesters gathered in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities Thursday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy , a widely respected figure whose ouster sparked a swift backlash”
The New Voice of Ukraine said the planned vote included replacing Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov with current Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, and it also reported mass protests in support of Fedorov in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, and Lviv.
Euronews reported that Dmytro Koziatynskyi urged a rally at 9:01 in piazza Franko and said, “Il ministro della Difesa viene rimosso nel mezzo di riforme efficaci e sostituito da qualcuno sotto il quale ogni speranza di riforma può essere dimenticata”.
Euronews also quoted vicecommander of the Ukrainian Air Force Pavlo Yelizarov saying the removal of Fedorov would cause “ulteriori vittime e distruzioni a causa degli attacchi missilistici e con droni russi,” linking the leadership change to the risk from Russian attacks.
In parallel, Vatican News said Zelenskyy reported on X a balance of four deaths from Russian attacks in the night, with raids on Odessa killing two people and injuring eight, and attacks also hitting Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.
