© picture alliance / Anadolu | Danylo Antoniuk
The resignation of Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s Defense Minister, has drawn fierce criticism from the wider public: in numerous cities, young people are expressing their support for the popular minister and calling for his return.
On Monday, the Ukrainian parliament approved the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and her government. On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had announced a cabinet reshuffle as part of what he called a “new political strategy.”
On Wednesday, Mykhailo Fedorov, the popular defense minister, also submitted his resignation. In a post on Telegram, he listed the achievements of his ministry, which he had led since January.
Fedorov’s resignation has sparked demonstrations across Ukraine, according to Ukrainian media reports. Young people and students in particular are expressing their support for Fedorov at the demonstrations. In Kyiv , slogans such as “Hands off Fedorov,” “Bring Fedorov back,” and “Power still lies with the people” could be seen. According to the organizers, the participants are protesting the repeated reshuffles within the government and are opposing the departure of officials they consider effective, Le Monde reports.
In cities such as Vinnytsia, Lutsk, Khmelnytsky, Lviv, Uzhhorod, Dnipro, Ternopil, Odessa, and Mykolaiv, several dozen to about a hundred people also gathered with banners calling for Fedorov to remain in his position.
Following the resignation of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, the deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Pavlo Yelizarov, also resigned. He believes that Fedorov’s resignation weakens the country’s defense capabilities against Russian attacks. In a Facebook post, he noted that Fedorov had implemented various reforms to strengthen air defense. Jelizarov also stated that he is leaving the military “for family reasons.”
Photo: © picture alliance / Anadolu | Danylo Antoniuk