Zelenskiy sacks defence minister Fedorov after clash with top general, sparking rare protests

Dismissal and protests

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov on 16 July 2026, the second wartime cabinet overhaul in a year. The 35-year-old reformer had held the post for only six months. His removal prompted rare street protests in Kyiv, Lviv and other cities, with more than a thousand demonstrators gathering outside the president's office. Chants of "Shame!" rang out, and placards read "Bring Fedorov back" and "Firing someone for good work is a mistake."

We saw results from his tenure, when strikes were effectively carried out against targets in Russia.

Air force deputy commander Pavlo Yelizarov announced his resignation in response, calling the dismissal "a great evil" for Ukraine's defence.

Fedorov's accusations against Syrskyi

Hours after his removal, Fedorov held a press conference and directed a blistering tirade at armed forces commander General Oleksandr Syrskyi. He accused the general of blocking his initiatives, sabotaging his work, and presiding over a dysfunctional culture of lies and poorly organised units.

Instead of working out how to asymmetrically defeat Russia... he has worked out how to split the country.

Fedorov said he had unsuccessfully petitioned Zelenskiy to replace Syrskyi and that the general had refused to sit at the same table without the president present. Syrskyi issued a short statement thanking Fedorov for his work but did not address the substance of the accusations.

Zelenskiy's response and new appointment

Zelenskiy told reporters he had been forced to choose between two figures who could not cooperate. "Those two could not work together. A wartime president must not face such choices, honestly. I want unity, but the sides did not find it. I respect both," he said. He added that they "even refused to sit at the same table without me."

I had to make a choice.

Later that evening, Zelenskiy announced that spy chief Yevhenii Khmara, acting head of the SBU intelligence agency, would serve as acting defence minister until he could formally resign from the military to take the civilian role. Parliament was expected to vote on a new government under energy executive Sergii Koretskyi, with interior minister Ihor Klymenko initially slated to replace Fedorov before the Khmara appointment.

Fedorov's tech-driven legacy

Fedorov rose to prominence as the digital transformation minister in Zelenskiy's first cabinet, rolling out the Diia app that allows Ukrainians to access government services via smartphone. After Russia's full-scale invasion, he publicly appealed to Elon Musk to activate Starlink over Ukraine, a service now used by tens of thousands of military terminals. As defence minister, he ramped up production of mid-range and deep-strike drones and streamlined procurement. Supporters credit his tenure with a visible improvement in Ukraine's battlefield position, including strikes on Russian oil and logistics sites.

War context and reactions

The leadership row erupted at a moment when Ukraine was in its best military position since late 2022, having slowed Russian advances in the east while pounding targets inside Russia with long-range drones. Still, Kyiv faces critical shortages of ground troops and air defences. The public rift drew sharp commentary from Ukrainian media; Vitalii Sych, chief editor of NV, wrote that "difficult moments are often caused by his idiotic decisions." Protesters in Kyiv sang the national anthem and demanded that the government listen to the people, reflecting broader unease over the direction of the war effort.