Zelensky scrambles to contain fallout from Fedorov dismissal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is working urgently to limit the political damage from his surprise removal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, as protests entered their fourth consecutive day in Kyiv and several other cities on Wednesday. The decision, announced without warning late Friday, has opened one of the most serious domestic rifts of his wartime presidency.

Streets stay angry

Demonstrations drew an estimated 8,000 people to Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv on Tuesday evening alone, according to city police figures. Smaller but vocal crowds gathered in Lviv, Kharkiv and Dnipro. Protesters carried signs reading “Fedorov stays” and “Who’s next?” — a pointed question about Zelensky’s intentions toward other popular cabinet members. The mood was sharp. It’s not the kind of anger that dissolves overnight.

Fedorov, 33, built a devoted following through his aggressive and often inventive use of technology against Russia, including the IT Army he helped coordinate and the drone procurement drive that became a symbol of Ukrainian ingenuity. His removal still lacks any official explanation beyond a vague presidential statement citing “a need for renewal.”

Zelensky reaches out — carefully

Behind the scenes, Zelensky held meetings Tuesday with senior parliamentary faction leaders in an attempt to stabilise support. His office confirmed three separate sessions took place, though it declined to name participants or reveal what was discussed. A senior Ukrainian official familiar with the conversations said the president “understands the optics are bad and is looking for a credible way to explain the decision without revealing operational sensitivities.”

That framing suggests the administration may be preparing to argue the sacking was security-related rather than political. But that story hasn’t landed yet, and until it does, Zelensky is essentially governing into a vacuum of his own making.

Political cost is real

Analysts are blunt about the damage. Zelensky’s approval rating, which held above 62% through most of 2024 according to the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, had already slipped to 57% in the most recent survey published in March. Several commentators now expect a further drop when the next poll is released.

His position in wartime remains structurally strong — there are no elections scheduled and the political opposition is fragmented. Yet credibility, once it starts to crack, is hard to seal back up.

The Verkhovna Rada is also restless. At least 47 MPs from coalition parties have signed an open letter requesting a formal briefing on the reasoning behind the dismissal, a number that climbed from 31 just 48 hours earlier.

What happens next

Zelensky is expected to name a replacement for Fedorov within days, and the choice will be read as a signal of his intentions. A technocratic pick might soothe some critics. A loyalist would almost certainly inflame them.

For now, the president’s team is betting the protests fade before the political math gets worse. That’s a bet Ukraine’s wartime leader can’t really afford to lose.