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Mass Marches Across Ukraine Enter Day 16 as Protesters Demand Fedorov’s Return
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Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Kyiv on July 31 to launch a protest march advocating for the reinstatement of Mykhailo Fedorov, dialogue, and structural reforms within the country's defense sector.
Public demonstrations have been ongoing in Ukraine for two weeks, beginning on July 16. Initial demands to reinstate Mykhailo Fedorov as Minister of Defense and dismiss Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, according to Village.
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The action in the capital is part of a broader wave of public demonstrations taking place across major cities. Protests are also ongoing in Lviv, Vinnytsia, Kharkiv, Odesa, Rivne, Dnipro, and other cities in Ukraine.
The central march began at 7:20 PM from Taras Shevchenko Park, moving in the direction of Bessarabska Square. Participants walked onto the main roadway, blocking vehicular traffic along the route. Waiting drivers in halted cars and buses sounded their horns in support as the procession moved forward, as reported by Village.
Upon reaching Khreshchatyk Street, the procession paused, and participants knelt on one knee on the road to observe a minute of silence in honor of those killed during the war.
“My husband is serving and feels the changes that happened under Fedorov,” one of the march participants in Kyiv explained to an RBC-Ukraine correspondent, stating why Mykhailo Fedorov needs to be reinstated as Minister of Defense.
Following the pause, the crowd resumed its march down the main thoroughfare. Even as air raid sirens echoed throughout Kyiv, the demonstrators continued their march through the city.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed one of the protesters' key demands on July 21 by replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi with Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new Commander-in-Chief. The call to dismiss Syrskyi had emerged following growing public dissatisfaction over military decision-making, though Fedorov was still not reinstated.
Instead, Yevheniy Khmara, who previously served as acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), was appointed acting Minister of Defense.
On July 21, 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi as Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces following widespread public demonstrations demanding leadership changes, appointing Mykhailo Drapatyi to the position.
On July 23, 2026, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that he would accept only the position of Minister of Defense.
He argued that no other role carried the necessary authority to combat procurement corruption, complete army transformation, and execute asymmetric operations during Russia’s full-scale invasion.
While expressing gratitude to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for offering alternative roles—including Deputy Prime Minister for Military Innovation—Fedorov declined them, emphasizing that his decision was about maintaining a real impact on the outcome of the war rather than holding a title.
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