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Why were Kyiv's streets filling after Fedorov's removal?
Summary
A look back at the protests that followed the replacement of Ukraine's defence minister in mid-July 2026.
What brought protesters to the area near the Presidential Office Building in Kyiv on 18 July 2026, and why did the dispute over one ministerial post draw in the armed forces? The answer lies in the events of the preceding days.
On 16 July, protests took place in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine against a decision by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He had chosen to replace defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov with major-general Yevhenii Khmara. The demonstrations were not confined to the capital.
The same day brought a sign of unease inside the military. Pavlo Yelizarov, deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, resigned from his position in protest at Fedorov's removal.
Also on 16 July, Zelenskyy initiated the appointment of Serhii Koretskyi as prime minister.
A second day of protest
By 17 July, the demonstrations had entered a second day near the Presidential Office Building in Kyiv. Protesters made two demands: that Fedorov be returned as Minister of Defence, and that Oleksandr Syrskyi resign as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
That pairing widened the dispute. The protests were aimed not only at the decision to dismiss a minister but also at the leadership of the armed forces.
By 18 July, the situation was defined by those elements: a contested replacement at the Ministry of Defence, a senior air force officer stepping down in protest, a prime-ministerial nomination under way, and demonstrators in Kyiv and beyond calling for changes at the top of the defence establishment.
