On Saturday, July 18, the streets of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities once again became the arena for mass protests. People took to the streets with placards demanding the return of Mykhailo Fedorov to the post of Minister of Defense and the resignation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi. These events are unfolding against the backdrop of a massive government reshuffle, which has acted as a catalyst for public discontent.
Mass actions: from Kyiv to Cherkasy
As in previous days, the main concentration of protesters is observed near the Franko Drama Theater in Kyiv. Participants of the rally are putting forward clear demands: return Fedorov to the government and dismiss Syrskyi. However, the wave of protests has not been limited to the capital. Rallies and solidarity actions have also taken place in Lviv, Dnipro, Ternopil, Mykolaiv, Kropyvnytskyi, Odesa, and Cherkasy.
In Ternopil, participants held placards with slogans such as: "Return Fedorov", "Don't touch what works", "Fire Syrskyi", and "We fight with drones, not people". The organizer of the event, Dmytro Kozyatynskyi, emphasized that the event has two key demands that remain unchanged.
Government response: Zelenskyy and Fedorov
The authorities have responded to the signals from society. Presidential Office Advisor Serhiy Leshchenko stated that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has heard the protesters, but noted that time is needed to make decisions. In the evening of the same day, the President published a video address, confirming that he had held lengthy talks with both Mykhailo Fedorov and Oleksandr Syrskyi.
"Decisions regarding the army will be worked out. I thank everyone who cares about Ukraine... who tries to bring the war home — to Russia," Zelenskyy stated.
Mykhailo Fedorov himself also commented on the situation in his Telegram channel. He thanked veterans and military personnel for holding the front line and expressed confidence that dialogue with the authorities would lead to changes. "Changes will definitely happen... There is a dialogue. I believe everything will work out," wrote the former minister.
Causes of the conflict and personnel changes
The roots of the current crisis go back to the beginning of July. On July 12, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced an update to the Cabinet of Ministers. Just two days later, Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko resigned, which led to a complete reboot of the government. On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada approved the new composition of the Cabinet led by former head of "Naftogaz", Serhiy Korol.
Mykhailo Fedorov was not on the new list of ministers. The reason for his departure was an open conflict with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, which was publicly discussed by both the President and Fedorov himself. At the same time, Oleksandr Syrskyi retained his post. It was precisely this decision that became the trigger for mass actions, which have been continuing for several days. Media reports emerged that the President is considering the possibility of replacing Syrskyi, however, a final decision has not yet been announced.
