By Rostyslav Averchuk
Lviv (EFE).- As the Parliament returns to work on Tuesday, thousands of protesters across Ukraine continue to demand the reinstatement of Mykhailo Fedorov as Defense Minister and clearer communication from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on his unfinished leadership reshuffle.
More than a month after Fedorov’s dismissal and the replacement of Oleksandr Syrskyi with popular general Mykhailo Drapatyi at the helm of the army, the leadership transformation remains incomplete. Yevhenii Khmara serves as acting defense minister, while Andrii Sybiha continues as acting foreign minister, yet neither post has received formal parliamentary confirmation.
Khmara, the former head of the SBU’s Alpha special operations center, is expected to remain Zelenskyy’s choice for the permanent defense role.
Yet no clear timeline for his appointment has emerged, according to MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak, amid doubts that his candidacy, once introduced formally by Zelenskyy, will secure enough votes even if the legal requirement that only a civilian can hold the post is lifted.
A call for dialogue
The prolonged absence of a fully fledged defense minister amid the war continues to fuel daily protests in Kyiv, Lviv and about 10 other cities. On Sunday night, hundreds of demonstrators handed a petition calling for “a dialogue” to a presidential representative in Kyiv.
In Lviv, protesters emphasized that Ukraine has made notable progress against Russia in recent months and cannot afford to lose momentum.
“Every day of delay is costing the lives of our soldiers,” a coordinator of the mainly young rally said outside Lviv city council.
Banners still call for Fedorov’s return, whose supporters credit the 35-year-old with accelerating technological innovation in the armed forces.
Fedorov has so far avoided direct criticism of the president and has not attended the protests. He declined other roles offered by Zelenskyy and publicly insisted that only the defense ministry offered a real chance to shape war strategy.
However, in an interview on Sunday with Ukraine-based Irish journalist Caolan Robertson, Fedorov said: “I think that hope has been taken away from the people, and that is the worst thing one can do to one’s own people.”
Keeping Zelenskyy in check
Olena Mykula, a graphic designer from Lviv whose relatives and friends serve in the army, attended the Sunday rally. “While at first I was angered by the removal of our best defense minister so far, more recently I have been outraged by the absence of communication,” Mykula told EFE.
She added that protesters are now focusing on a broader set of issues after it became clear Zelenskyy is unlikely to reappoint Fedorov.
The appointments of Rustem Umerov to head the Foreign Intelligence Service and Vitalii Kim as veterans minister, both without clear relevant experience, have drawn criticism, and many demonstrators are also calling for stronger action against systemic corruption.
Despite the criticism, public support for Zelenskyy remains relatively high at 55% according to an August survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. However, the share of Ukrainians who would support holding elections even before the war fully ends has risen to 38%, up from 25% in March.
“The president has the right to make the appointments he sees fit, but the protests help keep Zelenskyy in check so that he steps down a bit from his pedestal,” Mykula noted.
Army reform
Meanwhile, the new commander-in-chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, has taken visible steps to signal change after replacing Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The controversial Skelia assault regiment, previously criticized for violence against some recruits, has been placed under the operational control of the reputable Azov Corps.
Drapatyi has also responded to complaints about recruitment practices by suspending the head of one of the most criticized regional recruitment centers, according to Ukraine’s ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets. Reports suggest he intends to remove Syrskyi’s loyalists and promote officers who were openly critical of the previous command.
Drapatyi’s appointment has been broadly welcomed. Yet protesters remain wary that his reform efforts could stall without firm political backing and a clear strategy at the top, ideally with Fedorov as minister.EFE
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