Several thousand Ukrainians marched through central Kyiv on Friday, sending a clear message to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that opposition remains strong to his decision to dismiss Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who is widely credited with spearheading military innovation during Ukraine's war with Russia.
Fedorov, who had led the wartime ministry since January, was removed in a surprise government reshuffle in mid-July without a clear explanation.
Since then, demonstrators have gathered outside the presidential office, calling for his reinstatement after he declined an offer to take another government position.
"I don't like it when decisions are made, and then no one can explain why they were made," said Oleksandr, a 40-year-old IT worker.
Zelenskyy initially said he removed Fedorov because of a major conflict with then-Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, whom he dismissed a week later amid public pressure sparked by the crisis. But speculation grew that Fedorov was forced out because of his efforts to tackle alleged corruption in the defense sector. Fedorov appeared to lend weight to those claims in a recent interview, though he provided no details.
On Friday, protesters marched through Kyiv's historic center in an effort to draw the president's attention before the crowd converged on Khreshchatyk, the heart of the Ukrainian capital.
Some Ukrainians questioned whether the war with Russia could be won without modernizing the post-Soviet military system, a transformation Fedorov championed.
His dismissal came as Ukraine was intensifying its deep-strike campaign against Russian military and energy targets while making gains on the front line.
Matteo Mecacci, director of the European Policy Institute in Kyiv, said the appointment of Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new top commander may help restore trust, but only for some people.
"The way out (for Zelenskyy) probably cannot be limited to another personnel decision, and Fedorov's reappointment now appears unlikely. The focus must therefore be on effective crisis management," he said.
Protest organizer Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a military veteran, said Zelenskyy should give Fedorov a year to pursue reforms in the defense sector and then judge him on the results.
Democracy during war
Ukrainians who took to the streets on Friday said they were prepared to keep protesting as the crowd chanted, "The people are the power."
Civilian control of government is "an essential democratic principle," Mecacci said, and Ukrainians once again showed what they are fighting for in the war against Russia, now well into its fifth year.
"These demonstrations show that Ukrainians do not regard such questions as an internal dispute among officials, but as matters directly affecting the effectiveness of the war effort and public confidence in the country's institutions," he said.
Iryna, a 38-year-old businesswoman, said she would continue protesting until the government accepted their demand.
"We are not in a rush. We are here to stay. We have no choice," she said.