Blog
Published on July 16, 2026
by Suchita Uppal
Thousands of Ukrainians have protested in Kyiv and other cities after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy moved to replace Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov after only six months in office. The rare wartime protests reflect anger over the removal of a popular reformer and the lack of a clear explanation.
Why are people protesting?
Fedorov confirmed on July 15 that he was leaving the Defense Ministry as part of a wider government reshuffle. “It was a great honor to serve the Ukrainian people,” he wrote, alongside a detailed account of what the ministry had achieved and what remained unfinished.
The next day, more than 1,000 people gathered near the presidential offices in Kyiv, with protests also held in other cities. Demonstrators demanded an explanation and called for Fedorov to remain in office.
Protesters carried cardboard signs reading “For what?”, “The Russians are celebrating,” “Hands off Fedorov” and “Bring back Fedorov,” while crowds chanted “Shame!” At least one senior military official said he was resigning in protest.
Who is Fedorov, and what did he do?
Before becoming defense minister, Fedorov was Ukraine’s first minister for digital transformation. After Russia’s full-scale invasion, he became closely associated with Ukraine’s rapid development and use of drones and other military technology.
As defense minister, he expanded drone procurement, began reforming military purchasing, redirected funding towards strike and reconnaissance technology, and secured new air-defense contracts.
In his farewell post, Fedorov acknowledged that much remained to be done, including moving defense purchases to competitive tenders and completing the restructuring of the ministry.
What has President Zelenskyy said?
Zelenskyy has not publicly explained why Fedorov was removed and, as of July 16, had not directly addressed the protests. He has said only that the wider government reshuffle was intended to renew Ukraine’s leadership.
Ukrainian media have reported tensions between Fedorov and armed forces commander-in-chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Have protests like this happened before in wartime Ukraine?
Yes. In July 2025, Ukrainians held the first major anti-government protests since Russia’s full-scale invasion after parliament passed a law weakening the independence of the country’s two main anti-corruption agencies, NABU and SAPO.
Thousands protested across Ukraine in what became known as the “cardboard protests,” named after the homemade signs carried by demonstrators. Zelenskyy responded by proposing replacement legislation, and parliament restored the agencies’ independence.
Last week, a spontaneous anti-mobilization riot broke out in Lviv after recruitment officials allegedly forcibly detained a local man for failing to register. About 200 civilians blocked, damaged, and overturned a Territorial Recruitment Center vehicle.
Is corruption still an issue in Ukraine?
Yes. Ukraine has made important progress since 2014, but corruption remains a serious concern, particularly in defense procurement, state institutions and the judiciary. Ukraine scored 36 out of 100 in Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index.
The current protests are not primarily about corruption. But corruption forms part of the background: Fedorov was trying to make defense procurement more competitive and transparent, and his supporters say those anti-corruption efforts angered entrenched interests.
Human Rights First has covered anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine for a decade, including attacks on anti-corruption activists, irregularities in Kharkiv reconstruction contracts and last year’s nationwide protests over efforts to weaken NABU and SAPO.
