Protests in Ukraine's cities against Zelensky's removal of defence minister
Protests have erupted in Ukraine following President Zelensky's decision to remove Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The move follows internal conflicts between the defence ministry and the military leadership, with Zelensky appointing Maj-Gen Yevhenii Khmara as the replacement.
Why it matters
Internal political shifts in a country at war have significant implications for military strategy and national stability.
Figure caption, Watch: Ukrainians express anger and confusion over defence minister's removal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's surprise move to replace popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has caused an outburst of anger from civil society and protests from MPs.
A crowd of mostly young people gathered in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities on Thursday morning, holding up signs reading "Hands off Fedorov" and "Stop sabotaging victory!" and chanting "Shame!".
By evening, Zelensky had put forward the name of Maj-Gen Yevhenii Khmara, the acting head of the Security Service (SBU), as acting defence minister.
"Khmara has gained extensive and, in many respects, unprecedented experience with technological combat operations," Zelensky said.
Initial rumours that the end of Fedorov's tenure was related to tensions between him and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi were all but confirmed by Fedorov himself and Zelensky.
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