“Hands off those who work”: Protesters in central Kyiv rally against Mykhailo Fedorov’s dismissal
Several hundred people gathered outside the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theatre on the morning of 16 July 2026 to protest President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s planned government reshuffle. The demonstrators’ main demand was that Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov remain in office, a ZMINA correspondent reported from the scene.
Photo credit: Oleksandra Yefymenko / ZMINAFrom early morning, the square outside the theatre quickly filled with people of different ages. Ukrainian flags waved above the crowd alongside handmade placards reading, “Don’t destroy what works,” “Fedorov = a digital state,” “Enough personnel experiments,” and “Respect results, not politics.”
Photo credit: Oleksandra Yefymenko / ZMINAAt intervals, demonstrators chanted, “Hands off those who get the job done,” “Ukraine needs stability,” and “Professionals for the state.”
Photo credit: Oleksandra Yefymenko / ZMINAParticipants said they had come not only because of Fedorov’s possible dismissal but also in response to what they described as a broader pattern of frequent personnel reshuffles during Russia’s full-scale invasion. They said they expected the government to provide continuity and preserve teams that had demonstrated tangible results.
“For me, this protest is not about Fedorov. It is about institutions and the president’s communication with the people during the war. For the second July in a row, Zelenskyy has been making decisions that, in my view, directly contradict the aspirations of the majority of Ukrainians to join the European Union. Throughout our country’s history, Ukrainians have repeatedly shown different presidents that this is not how they can treat us,” said Valeriia Radchenko, head of communications at the Anti-Corruption Action Centre.
Radchenko also referred to a recent court ruling that prohibited Slidstvo.Info and the Anti-Corruption Action Centre from publishing an investigation into the director of the State Bureau of Investigation.
“He remains in office, while an effective minister is being dismissed,” she said. “During the war, when elections are impossible, it is more important than ever to make our position clear to the president. These protests show what sets us apart from Russia and where our strength lies. I want to be part of that strength. That is why I am here.”
For Olena Tymoshenko, who works in cultural diplomacy, the protest was primarily about the way government decisions are made.
“I came because the people, not someone’s personal ego, are the source of power in Ukraine,” she said. “Working in the public sector, I find it deeply troubling that we are moving further and further away from parliamentarianism and the principles enshrined in our Constitution.”
“This is not just about the dismissal of one minister. It is a broader problem. We are a parliamentary-presidential republic, yet parliament is playing an increasingly smaller role in decision-making. That is what concerns me most.”
Tymoshenko rejected suggestions that public demonstrations should be avoided because they could be exploited by Russian propaganda.
“Russia will always try to use any large public event for its own purposes, whether it is a protest or a rally calling for the return of prisoners of war,” she said. “But that does not mean we should stop holding the authorities accountable or abandon democratic mechanisms. On the contrary, if we stop doing that, we ourselves will begin moving toward Russia.”
Photo credit: Oleksandra Yefymenko / ZMINAAmong those attending the rally were veterans, service members on leave, entrepreneurs, students and civil society activists.
Families of military personnel also joined the protest. Nina, who attended with her nearly one-year-old child, said she and her husband decided to join the demonstration the previous evening.
“My husband serves in the military,” she said. “He came home upset yesterday, and we spent a long time discussing these personnel decisions. It almost feels unnecessary to explain why I am here because I think everyone in the country understands how much Mykhailo Fedorov has accomplished. Thanks to his work, Ukraine has introduced important technological solutions that have become vital during the war.”
“I cannot say I fully understand every political process, but I do believe we had to come here and make our position known. That was important.”
Many participants said the team led by the Ministry of Defence under Fedorov had implemented technological solutions that became critical during the full-scale war, including digital services supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine, defence procurement, military technologies and broader digital transformation initiatives benefiting both the military and civilians.
Some demonstrators carried placards listing projects they associated with Fedorov’s work, arguing that public officials should be judged by their performance rather than political considerations.
Photo credit: Oleksandra Yefymenko / ZMINAThroughout the demonstration, organisers stressed that the protest was peaceful. Participants did not block traffic, while police officers monitored the area around the theatre to ensure public order.
Photo credit: Oleksandra Yefymenko / ZMINASimilar rallies were held the same day in several other Ukrainian cities, including Lviv, Ternopil, Kharkiv, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Ivano-Frankivsk and Dnipro. Participants voiced opposition to the latest government reshuffle and urged the authorities to preserve institutional continuity during wartime.
Previously, ZMINA reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a sweeping reshuffle of the Cabinet of Ministers. Among the decisions that have generated the greatest public debate is the planned dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Many Ukrainians regard him as one of the government’s most effective ministers and argue that his removal could undermine reforms and continuity at a critical stage of the war.
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