Zelensky Seeks New Defense Minister amid Protests

The dismissal of Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has sparked an unusual wave of protests in Ukraine and a dispute within the country's leadership.

President Volodymyr Zelensky did not include Fedorov in the new government, even though he was one of the army's leading reformers and had championed the modernization of the defense sector and the development of unmanned technologies.

In Kyiv and other cities, hundreds of people took to the streets demanding his reinstatement. Fedorov himself sharply criticized Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, accusing him of blocking reforms and dividing the country.

Zelensky refused to take sides in the dispute and said he had not yet decided on a new defense minister.

One of the Ukrainian Air Force commanders responsible for developing drone operations also resigned in support of Fedorov. Critics of the president argue that the change could undermine confidence in the country's leadership during the ongoing war with Russia.

(Reuters, mja)