Rallies in support of dismissed Fedorov held in Kyiv, Lviv, and Odessa

Rallies in support of former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov were held in three Ukrainian cities — Kyiv, Lviv, and Odessa.

This was reported by the Telegram channel “Strana.ua.”

In published footage, several dozen protesters can be seen holding signs reading: “Bring back Fedorov!”, “Fedorov is our defense minister,” and “Better bring back the prisoners of war than fire Fedorov.”

On July 16, Mykhailo Fedorov published a “farewell” post on his Telegram channel summarizing six months of work as head of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, effectively confirming rumors of his resignation. He stated that it had been a great honor for him to serve the Ukrainian people.

The official also published a list of 22 “achievements” of his team. Among them were the alleged “logistical isolation” of Crimea, “investing” soldiers’ salaries in drones, and the launch of a program to accelerate the implementation of artificial intelligence systems. In the list of things “that did not work out,” Fedorov cited three points: completing military reform, transitioning all procurement to a tender basis, and “building a culture of accountability for decisions made.”

Ukrainian media cite his conflict with Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrsky as one of the reasons for Fedorov’s dismissal.

Earlier, reports emerged in Ukraine about preparations for protests against the minister’s resignation.