Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities continue to protest against Fedorov's dismissal
The tenth mass protest against the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov as head of the Ministry of Defence took place in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on 25 July.
Source: Ukrainian public broadcasters Suspilne and Radio Liberty
Details: People began gathering in Kyiv at the square near the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre at 19:00.
According to Suspilne's estimates, more than 500 people took part in the demonstration.
They chanted: "With Fedorov and Drapatyi you can't defeat us!", "There are no vacations in war", "We stand here for those who stand for us there" and "MPs, get to work."
In addition to demands for Fedorov's return as minister of defence, there were also calls to replace Vitalii Kim as head of the Ministry of Veterans. Kim had served as head of Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration before the government reshuffle.
Radio Liberty reported that protests against Fedorov's dismissal also took place in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Uzhhorod, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Mykolaiv and other cities.
Background:
- Since 16 July, protests have been taking place in Kyiv and other cities every day, with demonstrators demanding that Fedorov be reinstated as defence minister and that Oleksandr Syrskyi be dismissed as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that Fedorov and Syrskyi had been unable to find common ground and that problems on the battlefield, within brigades and with mobilisation remained unresolved.
- Zelenskyy announced he would propose that parliament appoint Yevhenii Khmara as minister of defence. Khmara will serve as acting minister of defence on the president's instruction.
- Following six days of protests, Zelenskyy announced his decision to dismiss Syrskyi as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and appoint Mykhailo Drapatyi to replace him.
- According to Ukrainska Pravda sources, Zelenskyy offered Fedorov several options to remain in government, including the position of deputy prime minister for technological development. However, Fedorov has opposed the idea because he does not understand why he was dismissed from the Ministry of Defence.
- Ex-serviceman Dmytro Koziatynskyi announced an open-ended protest starting on 24 July demanding the reinstatement of Mykhailo Fedorov as minister of defence.
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