Zelenskyy under pressure to reinstate sacked defence minister amid ongoing protests

Volodymyr Zelenskyy was under growing pressure to reinstate his sacked defence minister on Wednesday, after campaigners said they would continue indefinite nationwide protests until Mykhailo Fedorov got his job back.

On Tuesday, Zelenskyy bowed to public demands by firing Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. He appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as the new head of the country’s armed forces, as part of a radical reshuffle of the top military command.

But Zelenskyy’s attempts to defuse popular anger by offering Fedorov a new government role so far appear to have failed. Fedorov has reportedly turned down the post of deputy prime minister for technological development.

Instead, he wants to be reinstated as defence minister, arguing that it is the only way of implementing his ambitious plan for modernising and reforming Ukraine’s army.

The post is no longer vacant after Zelenskyy appointed a special forces commander, Yevhenii Khmara, as acting minister.

Protesters have called for a rally to be held on Friday evening outside Zelenskyy’s presidential office in Ivana Franka Square, Kyiv. The announcement – made by prominent veteran Dmytro Koziatynsky – suggests that Ukraine’s political crisis is likely to roll into a second week.

“We should not forget about the second demand of the protest – to return Mykhailo Fedorov to the position of minister of defence,” Koziatynsky wrote on social media. He added: “We must do everything possible to ensure that the government hears and satisfies all the demands of society.”

One senior army source told the Guardian that Zelenskyy faced a major dilemma. “If he reverses his decision, this would be a big victory for Fedorov. It would be humiliating for the president and reveal him to be weak. But if he doesn’t, the protests will keep going,” they said.

In recent months Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces have carried out a series of long and mid-range strikes on Russian territory, as well as on occupied southern Ukraine and Crimea. Targets have included oil refineries and military depots, as well as ships and oil tankers in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea.

Overnight, Ukrainian drones hit warehouses belonging to the Russian online retailer Wildberries, sparking large fires in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk. The attacks were part of an ongoing campaign to cripple Russia’s economy, so that it can no longer fund its war.

Zelenskyy held a meeting on Wednesday with his top generals. Afterwards, Drapatyi wrote on Facebook that he had been given instructions to “intensify offensive operations in all domains”.

He said other tasks included planning operations behind enemy lines, developing new technologies, and building up the military’s capabilities.

Drapatyi’s appointment has been met with widespread approval. Ukraine’s former president Petro Poroshenko said the army trusted him. “I know him as a strategically minded, brave, and decisive man. He cherishes people. The Ukrainian people place great hopes in him,” Poroshenko said.

One high-ranking military figure also welcomed Drapatyi’s appointment but said he faced significant challenges. “It won’t be easy,” they predicted. One was the likelihood that Vladimir Putin will bring in some form of mobilisation after elections in September, flooding the battlefield with new Russian recruits.

The crisis in Ukraine’s military leadership was triggered by a generational conflict between Fedorov, a 35-year-old tech-savvy moderniser, and Syrskyi, a 60-year-old Soviet-trained traditionalist. Last week Zelenskyy said he had tried to mediate between the two sides, before firing Fedorov as a last resort.

In a valedictory post, Syrskyi defended his record, which includes defending Kyiv and Kharkiv in the early weeks of Russia’s 2022 invasion. He said Ukraine had retaken more than 700 sq km (270 sq miles) ​of Ukrainian territory this year and said that he had created a separate drone branch of the armed forces – the first of its kind in the world.

“I am handing over to my successor an army that is not only holding the defence but is also on the offensive – with initiative, with structure, with people who know how to beat the enemy,” he said. He added that he sincerely hoped the offensive would continue, adding: “Everything is in place for this.”

As part of his shake-up, Zelenskyy said ⁠major general ⁠Ihor ​Skybiuk would replace ⁠Andrii Hnatov as the head of ⁠the general ​staff. ‌The president described Skybiuk as a “highly experienced officer who defended Ukraine shoulder ‌to shoulder with the ​new commander-in-chief.”

Russian bloggers have acknowledged that Drapatyi is a formidable opponent. “He’s smart, strong, and hates Russia,” one remarked.

They also noted that he had risen from battalion commander to head of the armed forces – a career which is practically impossible in Russia, where promotions are decided on the basis of connections and “intrigue”.

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Drapatyi’s appointment would not alter the situation on the frontline.

“I don’t think this will lead to any changes,” Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, adding that Moscow has no intention of stopping its full-scale offensive, which has lasted for nearly four and a half years.