Ukrainians Rally Nationwide for Fourth Day Demanding Fedorov’s Return and Army Reform

Protests continued across Ukraine for a fourth consecutive evening on July 19, with demonstrators demanding the return of Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister, the dismissal of Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, and broader changes to the country’s military leadership.

Thousands of people gathered near the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater in central Kyiv, calling for army reform, faster modernization, and better treatment of Ukrainian service members by military commanders.

“We Must Fight With Drones, Not Blood,” “Lawmakers, Get Back to Work,” “This Is No Time for Vacations,” and “Freedom of Speech for Soldiers,” protesters chanted during the rally.

Other signs carried by demonstrators read: “Soldiers Serve the People of Ukraine, Not the Commander-in-Chief,” “Children Are on Vacation—You Should Be Working,” “The Future of the Army Is Being Decided Today,” and “War Does Not Forgive Mistakes.”

Rallies were also reported in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Kropyvnytskyi, Lutsk, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Uzhhorod, Mukachevo, Uman, Kremenchuk, Kamianske, Ivano-Frankivsk, and other Ukrainian cities.

The demonstrations began on July 16 following Fedorov’s resignation amid a government reshuffle announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Protesters have since gathered for four consecutive days, calling for Fedorov to be reinstated and for Syrskyi to step down.

Public frustration has increasingly focused on conditions inside the Armed Forces, including what demonstrators describe as outdated command practices, insufficient technological modernization, unresolved mobilization problems, and restrictions on soldiers publicly discussing conditions within their units.

Zelenskyy acknowledged that Fedorov and Syrskyi had failed to establish an effective working relationship, while problems on the battlefield, within individual brigades, and in the mobilization system remained unresolved.

On July 18, the president said he had held separate conversations with Fedorov and Syrskyi and promised that decisions concerning the military would be developed. “We are preparing decisions for the army,” Zelenskyy said following the meetings.

Protect Ukrainian Skies

Subscribe to Sky Defense