Thousands Protest Across Ukraine After Zelensky Fires Defence Minister Fedorov

Thousands rallied in Kyiv, Odesa, and other cities on July 16, 2026, demanding Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov's reappointment a day after President Zelensky dismissed him. France24 called Fedorov Zelensky's most popular minister. The Kyiv Independent reported the removal as part of a government reshuffle deepening turmoil in Ukraine's military leadership during its fifth year of full-scale war.