Crowds Protest After Ukraine's Leader Fires a Popular Defence Minister

Thousands protested in Ukrainian cities on July 16, 2026, after President Zelensky fired Defence Minister Fedorov — described by France24 as his most popular minister. The Kyiv Independent said the firing was part of a reshuffle, meaning a shake-up of top government jobs, adding to leadership turmoil in Ukraine's fifth year of full-scale war.