Zelensky's Fedorov Sacking Backfires as Protests Mount
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- Zelensky removed Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister on 15 July as part of a cabinet reshuffle, triggering daily street protests in Kyiv from Fedorov's mostly young supporters demanding his reinstatement.
- Fedorov publicly rejected Zelensky's offers of alternative government posts, saying only three positions — defence minister, commander-in-chief, or president — carry real authority and budget control, a remark one former official called the moment Fedorov became 'a real candidate for the presidency.'
- Zelensky tapped Maj Gen Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, a battle-tested former commander of Ukraine's land forces, as the new commander-in-chief to replace the unpopular Oleksandr Syrskyi — a move former government adviser Yuriy Sak called 'very well informed.'
- Oleksandr Merezhko, an MP from Zelensky's own Servant of the People party, said the reshuffle was meant to 'cut Fedorov down to size' but acknowledged the strategy backfired: 'His rating soared. Just soared.'
- A former European defence official pushed back on Fedorov's outsized reputation, telling the BBC that Ukraine's innovation culture rests on roughly 2,000 companies and that its medium- and long-range strike capabilities were already built before Fedorov took the ministry.
- Despite the political turmoil, Ukraine's front lines remain largely static thanks to a 15–30 km drone 'kill zone,' and Zelensky's 'long-range sanctions' campaign continues inflicting mounting damage on the Russian economy.
Why it matters: Zelensky tried to sideline a popular potential rival, but the dismissal instead amplified Fedorov's profile as he publicly rebuffed alternative posts and raised the presidential question. With winter Russian energy strikes looming and no elections possible under wartime law, the episode diverts political energy from frontline priorities and seeds a succession fight that could outlast the war.
