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Rallies in support of Mykhailo Fedorov have begun in various cities across Ukraine

Rallies in support of Mykhailo Fedorov have begun in various cities across Ukraine

16 July 2026, 13:00

Rallies in support of Mykhailo Fedorov have begun in various cities across Ukraine

On the morning of 16 July, rallies in support of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov began in various cities across Ukraine. The day before, Fedorov had announced that he was stepping down from his post.

Participants gathered in Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Rivne, Cherkasy, Mykolaiv, Chernihiv and Ivano-Frankivsk. The placards read, among other things: ‘Fedorov’s dismissal is a shot in the foot for the country’s defence capability’.

During the protests, chants of “Shame!”, “Today’s government must be what society should be tomorrow”, “The army needs change, not bizarre replacements” and “Stop shooting ourselves in the foot” can be heard.

In Kyiv, protesters are gathering near the Frank Theatre, with some heading towards the ‘Khreshchatyk’ metro station. Protesters say they are opposing personnel reshuffles within the government and the dismissal of officials whose work they consider effective. Among the protesters’ slogans are “Fedorov – Minister of Defence”, “Don’t destroy what works”, “Bring Fedorov back” and “Ukraine needs results, not political manoeuvring”, “We do care”.

In Lviv, the demonstration is taking place in the square in front of the Shevchenko monument.

The previous evening, people took to social media to call for Fedorov’s resignation to be prevented. Veterans, civil society activists and public figures are joining the protests.

The organisers state that they are protesting “against constant reshuffles in the government and the replacement of effective ministers with convenient yes-men”.

Before Fedorov summarised his work at the Ministry of Defence, a number of media outlets and MPs had reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wanted to replace him. The media cited the reason as Fedorov’s failure to reach an agreement with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, regarding military procurement.

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