Demonstrators gathered near the President’s Office in Kyiv on Thursday for an eighth consecutive day, demanding the reinstatement of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and calling for the removal of newly appointed Minister of Veterans Affairs Vitalii Kim. Several hundred protesters rallied in the capital, holding placards urging the government to appoint a combat veteran to lead the veterans ministry rather than a political appointee.
The ongoing demonstrations erupted on July 16 following leadership friction between Fedorov and former Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi over mobilization and battlefield management.
While President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently replaced Syrskyi with Mykhailo Drapatyi to address military coordination issues, protesters have insisted on Fedorov’s full return to the defense ministry, chanting slogans against government officials and calling for military reforms.
Organizers have urged Ukrainians to continue daily demonstrations into Friday, framing the political push as essential for maintaining effective military leadership and ensuring adequate government support for frontline soldiers and veterans.
