Zelenskyy Loses Ground to Fedorov in New Ukrainian Polls

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has seen a dramatic surge in public trust, reaching 65% in a recent poll conducted by Rating Group. This increase of 30 percentage points in a single week places him ahead of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who currently holds a 59% trust rating.

The poll, conducted between July 20-21, followed Fedorov's dismissal from his ministerial position as part of a government reshuffle. The decision ignited widespread protests in several Ukrainian cities, with thousands taking to the streets daily to voice their opposition to his removal. According to the survey, a significant 72% of respondents disagreed with Fedorov's dismissal, while only 5% supported it, and 17% remained indifferent.

In a broader public trust ranking, former army chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, now Ukraine's ambassador to the United Kingdom, leads with 70%. Fedorov follows in second place, with the head of presidential administration, Kyrylo Budanov, at 62%. President Zelenskyy ranks fourth with 59% trust, while world boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk garners 54% support.

The poll also indicates a sharp decline in the popularity of former commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, whose trust rating dropped from 39% to 23% in one week. Fifty-five percent of participants supported his dismissal, with 15% opposing it. In a hypothetical first round of presidential elections, 22.3% of respondents would vote for Zelenskyy, followed by Zaluzhnyi at 14.9% and Fedorov at 13.4%. Budanov would receive 7.2%, Usyk 5.9%, and former president Petro Poroshenko 4.6%.