Protests in support of ex-defence minister Fedorov continue for second day in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine – photos, video
Protests in support of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov are continuing in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine for the second day in a row following his dismissal.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda correspondents at the scene; correspondents of the Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, Uzhhorod, Rivne, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Poltava, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv
Details: In Kyiv, people once again gathered outside the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre.
Video: Ukrainska Pravda
As on the previous day, they brought signs reading: "Choices have consequences", "Don't repeat our predecessors' mistakes" and "You can't win a war in 2026 with Soviet thinking".
The protesters are chanting "Bring back Fedorov" and "Syrskyi must go" and singing Ukraine's national anthem.
According to Suspilne correspondents, the protesters are also demanding that the parliamentary recess until 18 August be cancelled.
Ukrainska Pravda correspondents say the turnout is significantly higher than on the evening of 16 July, when the protest in the capital went on until late in the evening.
An Interfax-Ukraine correspondent estimated that at least 10,000 people have gathered in the square, with more continuing to arrive. The protesters have filled the square, the roads and sections of the adjacent Olhynska, Hrushevskoho and Stupky Streets.
Dialogue police officers are on duty at the scene and near the metro station.
In Lviv, people gathered on Svobody Avenue near the Taras Shevchenko monument. They are holding placards reading: "Drones should fight, not people", "Fedorov is the best defence minister", "Exchange prisoners, not Fedorov" and "War doesn't take holidays".
In Odesa, the protest began on Derybasivska Street at around 18:00 despite an air-raid warning. It initially drew around 50 people, but within half an hour there were over 200, and by 19:50 more than 500 had gathered.
Some of the slogans seen in Odesa include: "Go on holiday when you've learned your lesson!", "For innovation. For Fedorov", "Fedorov is Diia" [a reference to the government services mobile app he introduced] and "Fedorov for minister. Yes to reforms."
In Dnipro, protesters are chanting: "No holidays during wartime", "We need military reform", "Where there's Fedorov, there's hope" and "Syrskyi must go".
Protesters arrived carrying Ukrainian flags, and some brought children and pets along with them. The gatherings began with the national anthem, followed by a minute's silence.
In Ternopil, people gathered for a second time outside the oblast military administration, calling for Fedorov to be reinstated. During the protest, they sang the national anthem and other Ukrainian songs.
In Rivne, around 100 people took part in a protest against Fedorov's dismissal and demanded the removal of Syrskyi. In Uzhhorod, a protest in Poshtova Square continued for the second day in a row.
In Ivano-Frankivsk, people gathered outside the administrative building holding signs reading: "Fedorov for defence minister!", "Syrskyi must go!", "The government is the people!", "Better drones than people" and "Strong army, strong Ukraine!"
In Poltava, around 500 people gathered for a protest in the square outside the Hohol Theatre. They chanted: "Bring back Fedorov", "Syrskyi must go", "For shame", "Release prisoners, don't sack Fedorov", "Reform the army", "Holidays for soldiers, not for MPs", "The people have spoken – listen to them", "Give veterans a voice, not silence" and "More technology, more protection".
In Kharkiv, people gathered in the city centre for a second consecutive day in support of Fedorov. Air-raid warnings were issued several times during the protest. After explosions had occurred, protesters took shelter in the metro before returning once the all-clear was given.
In Mykolaiv, people took to the streets for a second day to protest against the decision not to renominate Fedorov for defence minister. Protesters said they had gathered to express their disagreement with Fedorov's dismissal.
Read more: Lies, isolation, blocking: Fedorov names 11 major problems he found in Defence Ministry
Previously:
- On 16 July, protests in support of Fedorov took place near the President's Office in Kyiv and in a number of Ukrainian cities. The protesters called on the authorities to reinstate Fedorov in the new government and not to hand the defence minister position over to Ihor Klymenko.
- Commenting on the upcoming changes at the Defence Ministry, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Fedorov and Syrskyi were unable to work together effectively and that problems on the battlefield, in military brigades and with mobilisation remain unresolved.
- Zelenskyy said it was right that Ukrainian citizens are able to take part in peaceful demonstrations and express their views even during wartime, adding that he had "not yet made a final decision" on the issue they had raised.
- Later that evening, however, Zelenskyy said he would propose the appointment of Yevhen Khmara as defence minister to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament). Khmara, who is currently the acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine, will now carry out the duties of Ukraine's defence minister on the president's instruction.
Background:
- On 14 July, the Verkhovna Rada approved Yuliia Svyrydenko's resignation as prime minister, a decision which entails the resignation of the entire government.
- On 16 July, the Ukrainian parliament appointed a new Cabinet of Ministers (Ukrainian government), led by Serhii Koretskyi. The parliament is expected to appoint the foreign and defence ministers separately at a later date.
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