Zelensky's Removal of Defence Minister Sparks Street Protests and Political Backlash

President Volodymyr Zelensky did not re-appoint Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister on 15 July 2026, dismissing him as part of a cabinet reshuffle that has triggered ongoing street protests and political backlash, according to BBC News reporting. Fedorov's mostly young supporters are mounting daily street protests demanding his reinstatement.

Fedorov rejected Zelensky's offers of alternative government posts on Thursday, according to the BBC. "The only three positions worth having to influence the course of the war are minister of defence, commander-in-chief of the military, or president of Ukraine," Fedorov stated. Ex-deputy defence minister Alina Frolova said: "If you don't have a ministry under you, you don't have a budget, and you don't actually have the authority to do something."

In response to Fedorov's removal, Zelensky appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, a highly respected former commander of Ukraine's land forces, as the new commander-in-chief, replacing the unpopular Oleksandr Syrskyi. Former government adviser Yuriy Sak said Zelensky "consulted pretty much every significant figure in the Ukrainian army" and described Drapatyi as "a young, battle-proven, modern general who will take our defences to a new level." Drapatyi's appointment has been generally welcomed but represents only a partial fix to the crisis, per the BBC.

Political observers note the irony of the removal. MP Oleksandr Merezhko from Zelensky's Servant of the People party said: "His removal has led to the opposite result. His rating soared. Just soared." Merezhko suggested Fedorov's popularity and ambitions may have brought about his downfall, quoting Robert Greene's "The 48 Laws of Power": "Don't outshine your master." Merezhko also noted that people want leaders who are "a warrior against corruption, who is very modern, who is young," and "People want to see something like that in politics, which they consider to be dirty and full of hypocrisy. They need heroes."

Opposition figures dispute this assessment. An unnamed opposition MP criticized Fedorov as "childish" and said he is "looking to further his political career, which I think is just stupid in the circumstances where we are." Another unnamed opposition MP argued that young protesters have oversimplified Fedorov's role, claiming they don't understand how the defence ministry and general staff operate. "Ninety-nine per cent of these young people on the street have no clue how the ministry of defence is operating, how the general staff is operating. They think Fedorov is good because he wants to fight with drones and Syrskyi was bad because he was looking for people to fight. It's a dramatic simplification which is totally wrong," the MP said.

A former European defence official noted that while Fedorov brought "energy and clarity," the innovation culture driving Ukraine's defence capabilities rests on "2,000 companies, not a single individual," and that Fedorov inherited strike capabilities over which the defence minister has "little day-to-day influence." Ukraine's constitution still prevents elections in wartime and none are scheduled, according to the BBC.