Hundreds gathered near the Ivan Franko National Theatre in central Kyiv on Thursday, July 16th, 2026, to protest the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Demonstrators called on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reverse the decision, chanting “Shame!” and carrying placards stating “The Russians are celebrating.” Similar protests were reported in Lviv, Odesa, and Dnipro.

Fedorov, 35, a technology specialist and Ukraine’s first minister for digital transformation, has been credited with reforming defence procurement, tackling corruption, streamlining bureaucracy, and introducing a data-driven approach to Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia. In a message posted on X, he described it as “a great honour to serve the Ukrainian people” and highlighted key achievements during his tenure, including disabling Starlink access for Russian forces and expanding domestic drone production.

The protests took place near the presidential office, the same location as last July’s “cardboard protest,” which had successfully pressured Zelenskyy to reverse a controversial measure that had undermined Ukraine’s anticorruption agencies.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Zelenskyy acknowledged reports of tensions within the Ministry of Defence and expressed a desire for greater unity between the ministry and military leadership.

Sources