Thousands join Kyiv march demanding Fedorov’s return and defence reforms

Thousands of Ukrainians marched through central Kyiv on Friday (31 July) in a “Protest March for Dialogue and Reforms,” demanding the reinstatement of former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and continued military modernisation. The action, reported by public broadcaster Suspilne, marked the 16th consecutive day of nationwide demonstrations that began after Fedorov’s abrupt dismissal and have drawn supporters in cities from Lviv to Odesa.

Participants gathered in the evening near the Taras Shevchenko monument in Shevchenko Park and walked to Ivan Franko Square, the site of daily evening rallies near the President’s Office. Estimates put the Kyiv crowd in the thousands – police and media reports ranged from several thousand to around 6,000 – many of them young people, veterans, and families carrying handmade cardboard signs. Slogans included “Bring Fedorov back,” “You messed up – fix it,” “Fedorov = technological genius,” “Reforms, not schemes,” “Action, not inaction,” and “The people are the government.” They chanted Fedorov’s name, sang the national anthem, observed a minute of silence for fallen soldiers, and unfurled large Ukrainian flags.

EUalive’s partner Suspilne described the march as a call for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to continue dialogue with Fedorov and give him a year to implement defence-sector reforms. Organiser Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran and combat medic who has led the protests from the start, urged Zelenskyy to “hear his people” and allow results-based evaluation of the reforms. Similar actions took place the same evening in other cities including Lviv, Dnipro, Odesa, and more.

Who is Mykhailo Fedorov and why the backlash?

Mykhailo Fedorov, 35, rose as one of Ukraine’s youngest and most prominent wartime officials. Born in 1991 in Vasylivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast (now under Russian occupation), he built a digital-marketing business before entering politics. After helping run Zelenskyy’s 2019 social-media campaign, he became Minister of Digital Transformation in 2019 – the youngest cabinet member in independent Ukraine’s history. He oversaw the Diia “state in a smartphone” app (used by more than 20 million people for documents, services, and wartime tools), the United24 fundraising platform, the IT Army of volunteer cyber defenders, and the Army of Drones initiative that scaled Ukraine’s unmanned systems.

In January 2026 Zelenskyy appointed him Defence Minister. In roughly six to seven months Fedorov pushed data-driven procurement reforms, accelerated drone and unmanned systems production, and sought greater transparency and speed in a ministry long criticised for Soviet-era bureaucracy and corruption risks. Supporters credit him with shifting Ukraine toward asymmetric, technology-heavy warfare against a larger Russian force.

Zelenskyy’s self-inflicted wound: the Fedorov fiasco risks undermining Ukraine at its most vulnerable moment

On 15 July, amid a broader cabinet reshuffle (including the resignation of the previous government), Zelenskyy did not renominate Fedorov. Official explanations centred on a conflict with then-Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi: the two men reportedly struggled to coordinate, with Zelenskyy saying they communicated mainly through him. Fedorov later told Ukrainska Pravda that the real driver was resistance to his procurement and tender reforms, which had “stepped on the toes of many people” in the defence industry and triggered smear campaigns.

From “cardboard protests” to sustained pressure

The next morning (16 July), peaceful “cardboard protests” – named for the handwritten placards – erupted in Kyiv’s Ivan Franko Square and at least 16 other cities. Koziatynskyi and others stressed non-violence. Early demands were dual: reinstate Fedorov and remove Syrskyi. After about a week of daily rallies, Zelenskyy dismissed Syrskyi on or around 21 July and appointed General Mykhailo Drapatyi, a respected field commander, as the new commander-in-chief. Protesters welcomed the change but insisted the core demand – Fedorov’s return to the Defence Ministry – remained unmet. They rejected alternative posts offered to Fedorov and declared the action open-ended.

Rallies have continued daily in Kyiv and regionally, sometimes smaller in numbers but persistent. The 31 July march escalated the format into a coordinated walk through the capital’s historic centre, including Khreshchatyk, signalling that public support for Fedorov’s tech-driven approach has not faded. An air-raid alert interrupted the march at one point, yet participants continued. Fedorov himself has said he will not join the street protests and has declined other government roles, maintaining he would return only as defence minister.

Ukraine has been fighting a full-scale Russian invasion since February 2022. The war has highlighted the value of innovation – cheap drones, rapid adaptation, and transparent logistics – against a larger and ageing conventional force. Personnel changes at the top of the military and defence ministry are closely watched because they affect battlefield performance, Western aid confidence, and domestic morale. Public street protests during wartime remain relatively rare and sensitive under martial law; the sustained, peaceful, multi-city nature of these demonstrations is therefore notable. They echo earlier “cardboard” actions (for example, 2025 protests defending anti-corruption bodies) and reflect civil-society insistence on accountability even while the country is under attack.

As of early August 2026 the protests show no sign of ending. Organisers say they will keep appearing “as many days as it takes” until the authorities respond on reforms and Fedorov’s status. Zelenskyy has acknowledged coordination problems between the ministry and military command but has given no public indication he will reverse the dismissal. The demonstrations underscore a broader debate inside Ukraine: how to balance institutional continuity, wartime urgency, and the push for technological and anti-corruption modernisation of the defence sector.

The article in Ukrainian by EUalive’s partner Suspilne can be found here.

Caption: Ukrainians march during a protest against the dismissal of Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, 31 July 2026, amid the Russian invasion. Protesters in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities called for Fedorov’s reinstatement as defense minister after his removal in a cabinet reshuffle. EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO