In a wave of spontaneous rallies across Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv and other major cities, thousands of Ukrainians, mostly students, poured into the streets holding placards that read "Hands off Fedorov" and "Stop sabotaging victory!" The demonstrators chant "Shame!" and demand that President Volodymyr Zelensky reverse the surprise dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Fedorov, 35, took office in January after a meteoric rise through the ranks of digital transformation. He has been lauded for restructuring the ministry, cutting out Soviet‑era bureaucracy, and using data analytics to boost battlefield performance. His legacy also includes establishing the volunteer "IT Army of Ukraine" to launch cyber‑attacks on Russian forces and leading the successful "Army of Drones" campaign that introduced gamification to reward units for striking enemy assets.
A veteran soldier addressed the BBC on protest street, calling the sacking "Ukraine’s worst mistake" and saying he believed no one in the army supported the decision. Maria Lavrynets, 31, raised her voice from a podium in Ivan Franko square, writing on her radio, "We see Fedorov’s results. We need to stand for them." Their sentiment echoes a widespread sentiment that the dismissal might weaken the momentum that has kept Ukrainian forces sharp against Russian advances.
The Parliament is slated to vote later on Thursday for a replacement—Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. However, insiders cite tension between Fedorov and a more traditional Commander‑in‑Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, as a potential factor, and a failed push to overhaul military mobilisation has left critics wary of losing vital reforms.
Helene Payevna, a prominent blogger, hailed Fedorov as the finest minister of defence in Ukraine’s history, lamenting the bureaucratic obstacles that thwarted deeper reform. In a leak of a Facebook post, Fedorov listed his achievements and vowing to continue defeating the enemy through asymmetry, speed of innovation and organisational strength, showing the frustration felt by those who saw his constructive approach on the frontline.
