Ukraine: protests against Fedorov's dismissal
For many Ukrainians Mykhailo Fedorov was the political star of the new generation. As digital minister he introduced the Diia smartphone app, which drastically reduced visits to authorities. As defence minister he pushed for increased drone usage and for shutting down the Starlink satellite internet service for the Russian invaders. Now, after just a few months in office, he has been ousted as part of government reshuffle, sparking protests throughout the country.
A bitter loss
Hospodářské noviny comments:
“The dismissal of Fedorov, who has come to symbolise technological advances and the courage of the Ukrainian defenders, has been criticised both by both Western media and many analysts and former politicians. They see Fedorov as largely responsible for the positive developments on the front line this year and for tackling corruption within the Ministry of Defence. Russian war bloggers are celebrating Fedorov's departure on the Telegram network. They are describing him as one of Ukraine's most effective defence ministers, having significantly hampered the Russian army's operations by blocking the Starlink network and engineering the fuel crisis in Russia.”
Worlds colliding
La Repubblica explains why the military wasn't happy with Fedorov:
“Mykhailo Federov, or 'Misha', managed the war like a start-up and believed in asymmetries. More neurons than testosterone, a ping-pong table in the conference room, PowerPoint presentations, sneakers instead of boots – and the conviction that Ukraine would more be more likely to win the war with drone joysticks than with guns. ... No surprise then that this 35-year old who was full of ideas and anglicisms (one of his favourite words which drove the officers insane was data-driven), and who ran the Ministry of Defence without ever having served a day in the military would end up in conflict with the generals sooner or later.”
Ridding himself of a rival?
Der Standard points to a potential reason for Federov's dismissal:
“As adept as the president may be in rallying for support for his country around the world, he is not particularly skilled on the domestic policy front. In 2025 it was the dubious activities surrounding the Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities, today it is the sacking of the popular defence minister Mykhailo Federov that is causing widespread dismay. ... But why Zelensky has now dismissed the successful Federov is something only he knows. ... In Kyiv there are rumours that Zelensky simply wanted to get rid of a rival. After all, in the event of a ceasefire, presidential elections are pending.”
Spirited civil society
Media expert Tetyana Troshchynska praises the citizens' commitment in a Facebook post republished by NV:
“It's just great that under the current circumstances there are still politically active people in Ukraine. After all, the crisis of confidence in the government has been going on for a long time and could easily have led to public disillusionment. Instead, what we see is people showing commitment and exerting pressure. Another interesting point: the established parties have gradually lost their leading role in developing ideas and taking positions and local initiatives are forming to do this work instead. Now they are demanding that the president at least provide comprehensible explanations for non-transparent decisions.”