Protests took place in several cities across Ukraine against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy\u2019s decision to dismiss Mykhailo Fedorov from his post as Minister of Defence. According to the BBC, protesters in Kyiv chanted \u00abShame!\u00bb and demanded that Fedorov, who was appointed to head the ministry in January, not be sacked.<\/p>\n
Briefly about the main points<\/strong><\/p>\n On Thursday morning, a crowd of people, mostly young people, gathered in the centre of Kyiv. Their placards bore the slogans \u00abHands off Fedorov\u00bb and \u00abStop sabotaging victory!\u00bb. The protesters also chanted \u00abShame on you\u00bb.<\/p>\n According to Ukrmedia News<\/a>, the President\u2019s decision provoked a strong reaction not only amongst some sections of civil society, but also amongst the military and commentators. The President did not publicly explain the reasons for the dismissal.<\/p>\n Soldier Oleksandr told the BBC that he had joined the army this year because he trusted Fedorov\u2019s team and his vision. Maria Lavrynets, a participant in the Kyiv protest, emphasised that the protesters could see the results of his work and attributed them to the soldiers\u2019 motivation.<\/p>\n A 35-year-old Mykhailo<\/strong> Fedorova<\/strong> He was appointed Minister of Defence only in January. Prior to that, he headed the Ministry of Digital Transformation, and following the start of Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion in 2022, he helped set up the volunteer \u00abIT Army of Ukraine\u00bb to carry out cyberattacks against the Russian side.<\/p>\n At the department Fedorov<\/a> He began a restructuring programme, focusing on tackling corruption, analysing data from the front line and improving the performance of the various units. He also developed the drone, technology and procurement sectors.<\/p>\n His previous initiatives include the \u00abArmy of Drones\u00bb fundraising campaign and a scheme under which military units were awarded points for hitting Russian targets. According to the BBC, when he first took office as minister, he also appealed to Elon Musk<\/strong> calling for restrictions on Russia\u2019s use of Starlink<\/a> for drone attacks.<\/p>\n Some of the BBC\u2019s sources link the dismissal to tensions between Fedorov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi<\/strong>, whom the publication describes as an advocate of a more traditional approach. Others point to criticisms that the mobilisation system is not being updated quickly enough.<\/p>\n These explanations do not represent the President\u2019s official position. Following his dismissal, Fyodorov himself wrote on Facebook that he would continue to work towards victory over the enemy through \u00abasymmetry, the speed of innovation and organisational strength\u00bb.<\/p>\n Blogger Serhiy Sternenko<\/strong>, whom Fedorov had appointed as an adviser, described him as the best defence minister in Ukraine\u2019s history and spoke of bureaucratic obstacles and artificial delays to reforms.<\/p>\n\n
Protests in Kyiv and the public reaction<\/h2>\n
What was Fyodorov doing at the Ministry of Defence?<\/h2>\n
Theories as to the reasons for the resignation<\/h2>\n
A personnel decision and a protest within the armed forces<\/h2>\n