President Volodymyr Zelensky surprised the nation by firing Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, sparking angry protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Thousands of mostly young people stood on the streets holding signs such as "Hands off Fedorov" and chanting "Shame!", demanding that the dismissal be reversed.
In the evening, Zelensky nominated Major-General Yevhenii Khmara, the acting head of the Security Service, as Fedorov’s temporary replacement, citing Khmara’s experience with technological combat operations.
The move was rooted in a long‑standing conflict between the defence ministry and Commander‑in‑Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Fedorov had openly criticized the General Staff’s strategy, suggesting that Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov be replaced, a proposal that a month later remained unacted upon.
Parliament is set to vote on the proposed replacement, yet Zelensky emphasised that multiple candidates, including interior minister Ihor Klymenko, were under consideration and no official proposal had yet been filed.
The removal has stunned soldiers and policymakers alike. A former Adviser to Fedorov described his dismissal as “the worst mistake of Zelensky’s presidency,” while a former drone unit commander resigned in protest, calling the action a grave loss to Ukraine’s defense capability.
Fedorov, credited with driving a data‑driven overhaul of the ministry, led initiatives such as the volunteer “IT Army of Ukraine” and the “Army of Drones” fundraising campaign, which combined technology, gamification, and rapid procurement to increase frontline efficiency.
He has since announced his intent to continue defeating the enemy through asymmetry, speed of innovation and organisational strength, despite being replaced by the president who, according to Fedorov, had yet to publicly choose a side in the Syrskyi dispute.
