Political crisis and protests in Ukraine as Zelenskyy defends sacking defence minister

• 01Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and appointed Yevhenii Khmara as acting defense minister pending parliamentary approval.
• 02Zelenskyy stated that a 'challenging dialogue' occurred between Fedorov and Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, noting there was no unity and that he had to choose one side.
• 03Mykhailo Fedorov accused military leadership of blocking reforms, making brigade support decisions based on 'loyalty' rather than data, and engaging in 'bureaucratic wrangling' over organizational changes.
• 04More than 1,000 protesters gathered outside the presidential office in Kyiv, carrying placards such as 'For what?' and chanting 'Syrskyi out' to support Fedorov.
• 05Ukraine’s parliament accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, with Serhiy Koretskyi, head of Naftogaz, identified as likely her replacement.
• 06UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer awarded Zelenskyy the Order of Freedom and stated that Ukrainian drone strikes had shifted the war's momentum and that Putin was 'losing.'
• 07Fedorov rejected an offer from Zelenskyy to remain as a government adviser and claimed he had proposed replacing Syrskyi, a suggestion he said led to his own dismissal.
• 08Starmer described the UK's support for Ukraine as something 'in our bones' and claimed the optimistic mood in Ukraine over the last six or seven months was due to 'hard work, guts, resolve and courage.'

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov following a breakdown in relations with Army Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, appointing Yevhenii Khmara as acting defense minister in the interim. Fedorov accused the military high command of obstructing reforms and prioritizing loyalty over merit, sparking protests in Kyiv and outrage among civil society. The political crisis overshadowed a visit by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who awarded Zelenskyy the Order of Freedom and declared that recent military successes have shifted momentum against Russia.