Protesters gather again near President's Office in Kyiv – photos
A new protest has been held near the Office of the President of Ukraine in Kyiv on the evening of 14 August, with demonstrators demanding dialogue, a clear government action plan and a vision for reforms as well as protesting corruption in the defence sector and expressing support for former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda correspondent at the scene
Details: Around 500 people have gathered at Franko Square.
They have chanted: "Drones, not people", "The people are the government", "Fedorov is Defence Minister of Ukraine" and "Servant of the People, come out to the people".
As usual, protesters have held signs calling on the authorities to take action.
Those present have also organised a silent protest in memory of people who were killed in the war and can no longer voice their demands to the country's leadership.
Various belongings, candles and pieces of cardboard bearing messages such as "I didn't get to see the world", "I didn't get to say I love you" and "I didn't get to become a mother" were placed in the fountain basin.
Background:
- From 16 to 24 July, protests were taking place in Kyiv and other cities, 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.
- On 18 July, the president said he had spoken with Fedorov and Syrskyi. He promised that "decisions regarding the army will be worked out".
- On 20 July, Syrskyi apologised to Fedorov and said he had not realised there was a conflict between them.
- 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.
- Veteran Dmytro Koziatynskyi, who previously called on people to protest against then commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, announced an open-ended protest starting on 24 July.
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