Ukraine protests surge after defense minister Mikhail Fedorov's dismissal

In July 2026 Ukraine saw its largest anti‑government demonstrations since the Russian invasion began in February 2022, sparked by President Volodymyr Zelensky's removal of Defence Minister Mikhail Fedorov. Protesters across the country voiced anger over the dismissal, broader dissatisfaction with the war‑time mobilisation process, alleged corruption in the military administration and delays in reforms.

Fedorov, who had served only six months, was replaced by acting minister Yevhen Khmara, who can attend government meetings but cannot vote until a new minister is formally appointed by the parliament before 18 August. The protests have highlighted a clash between Ukraine’s traditional military elite and a newer technocratic faction that favours digitalisation, drones and AI to offset Russia’s numerical advantage.

Fedorov later told a podcast that Russia launched more rockets in a single month than Ukraine receives in several months, and described a successful test of a domestically produced Ukrainian ballistic missile. He also mentioned ongoing coordination with Elon Musk to secure Starlink terminals for frontline communications and recent direct talks with President Zelensky.