Ukraine protests defense minister's dismissal, demand commander's resignation

Large protests have erupted in Kyiv and other major Ukrainian cities since July 16, following the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Demonstrators are demanding Fedorov's reinstatement and the resignation of Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, accusing Syrskyi of "blocking initiatives" and refusing to address problems.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged the conflict between Syrskyi and Fedorov, stating that while he respects both men's strengths, their inability to reach an agreement has become a problem. Zelenskyy explained that he must choose between supporting Syrskyi's methods, which focus on the military and mobilization, or Fedorov's approach, which emphasizes ethical principles and technological advancements. Political scientist Oleg Sakyan described the situation as a clear ethical divide within Zelenskyy's team, forcing the president into a difficult moral choice.

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Poštujem obe strane, znam njihove snage i slabosti, i zaista želim da ojačaju Ukrajinu. Ali to je realnost. I u ovakvoj situaciji postoji samo jedan izlaz – izabrati jednu ili drugu stranu

Experts suggest the issue is systemic rather than personal. Mykola Bielieskov, an expert at the Ukrainian Foundation "Come Back Alive," noted that when a defense minister attempts to go beyond merely supplying the army and delves into strategic warfare, it can cause resentment within the military. He warned that if this problem is not addressed systemically, conflicts between military and civilian leadership will persist.

Meanwhile, Yevhenii Kmara, former head of the "A" Special Operations Center and acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) since January, has been appointed acting defense minister. Zelenskyy highlighted Kmara's extensive experience in leading technological offensive operations, stating that this is where Ukraine's defense efforts should be focused in the ongoing war.

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Kada ministar odbrane nastoji da ide dalje od pukog obezbeđivanja materijalnih zaliha vojske i umesto toga pokreće pitanja o strateškom ratovanju, to izaziva negodovanje unutar vojske