Large protests erupted in several Ukrainian cities on Thursday morning against the removal of popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
More than a thousand people gathered on a central square in Kyiv, singing the national anthem, waving Ukrainian and EU flags and chanting “shame” and “bring Fedorov back”.
Appointed only six months ago, Fedorov carved a reputation as a moderniser who tried to reform the Ukrainian military, worn down by more than four years of the Russian invasion.
His removal risks throwing uncertainty into the army at a time when Ukraine is in one of its best positions in the war for months, having halted the pace of the Russian advance and pounding oil and military sites in the country with long-range drones.
Fedorov announced late on Wednesday he was stepping down, saying it was a “great honour to serve the Ukrainian people”, amid a sweeping government reshuffle ordered by President Volodymyr Zelensky.