Protests in Ukraine's cities against Zelensky's removal of defence minister

A significant story is unfolding on the international scene. Protests in Ukraine's cities against Zelensky's removal of defence ministerImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Protesters gathered in central Kyiv on Thursday morningByLaura Gozzi and Sarah Rainsford, Southern and Eastern Europe correspondent, KyivPublished15 minutes agoProtests have been taking place in several Ukrainian cities against President Volodymyr Zelensky's surprise dismissal of popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. A crowd of people - mostly young - gathered in Kyiv, holding up signs reading "Hands off Fedorov" and "Stop sabotaging victory! " and chanting "Shame!

Zelensky has not yet explained his decision, which is causing significant upset among commentators and the military as well as parts of civil society. Fedorov, 35, was appointed only in January but has been credited with energising the ministry, heading a drive against corruption and using data to analyse and try to improve performance on the front line. MPs were due to vote later on Thursday on the proposed replacement as defence minister, Ihor Klymenko, who currently heads the interior ministry.

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Some in Ukraine have linked Fedorov's dismissal to tensions between him and the more conventionally minded Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, while others have highlighted his failure to move swiftly enough on overhauling mobilisation in the military. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Before joining the government, Mykhailo Fedorov set up a volunteer "IT Army of Ukraine""This is the worst mistake Zelensky has made during his entire presidency," Oleksandr, a Ukrainian soldier, told the . He had signed up to the army earlier this year because he trusted Fedorov's team and vision, he said: "I don't know anyone who supports the decision to replace him.

Not within the army, not in society. ""I have lots of friends in the military. I don't want this to go on," Maria Lavrynets, 31, told the at a protest in Ivan Franko square in central Kyiv.

We see the motivation of the soldiers, we should stand for them. "When he was brought in, Fedorov set off to restructure the defence ministry, which many in Ukraine see as too bogged down in bureaucracy and old Soviet-era attitudes. A former minister of digital transformation, he was active from the early days of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 in setting up a volunteer "IT Army of Ukraine" to launch cyber-attacks against Russians.

Later, he led a successful fundraising campaign called the Army of Drones and brought in elements of "gamification" to the war, designing a system that awarded Ukrainian military units with credits for hitting Russian assets. Image caption, Two young protesters against Fedorov's dismissal hold up signs reading "What are you doing, you idiot? " and "This is for all of those who couldn't be here"Fedorov's focus on drones, high-tech warfare and procurement continued after he become defence minister.

The story has become one of the most prominent items on the global agenda.