KIEV, Ukraine: Thousands of people took to the streets across Ukraine on Thursday in protest as President Volodymyr Zelensky shook up his wartime government by removing his young defense minister — who was seen as an innovator of the country’s breakthrough drone technology but who was at odds with the traditional military establishment. The personnel overhaul, including replacing his prime minister, could become a test of Zelensky’s political authority as Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches four and a half years. Zelensky remains in office under martial law because wartime elections are prohibited but has reshuffled his government from time to time. These steps have put Ukraine’s military leadership in an unwanted crisis at a time when the consequences of its actions against Russia are beginning to emerge and Moscow has launched repeated airstrikes. Ukraine’s emergency service said two people were killed and five others, including a child, were hit by Russian missiles on the capital of Kiev overnight. In making the change, Zelensky cited differences of opinion between outgoing Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and General Oleksandr Syrsky, commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. “I’m just showing that if the parties can’t resolve an issue, I have to resolve it,” Zelensky said at a news conference. The outgoing defense chief was seen as a modernizer. Fedorov, 35, is considered a forceful modernizer whose technical expertise is credited with significantly improving Ukraine’s military performance in recent months against Russia’s larger army. He is leaving the government after only six months in office. Fedorov appeared at a press conference in a dark T-shirt and jeans and accused Syrsky of blocking needed reforms because “war has completely changed” due to new technology such as drones. During his time in office, he restricted Russian forces’ access to the Starlink satellite communications system, allowing Ukraine to better take advantage of its midrange strike capabilities, giving Kiev a significant battlefield advantage. Fedorov said he was willing to work with Sirsky, “but we faced a situation in which all the initiatives we proposed began to be blocked.” He said, “Under this arrangement (with Sirski as commander), I personally don’t know how the war can be won.” On social media, Fedorov highlighted his key accomplishments: redirecting funds earmarked for salaries to midrange strike capabilities, fiber-optic drones, reconnaissance systems and other technologies. He pointed to expanded drone purchases, the Patriot missile defense contract, successful ballistic missile tests and sweeping changes in military procurement. But he admitted that he was unable to complete the organizational transformation of the Defense Ministry “in accordance with NATO standards and common sense” and transfer all procurement to competitive tenders and create a culture of accountability. Sirsky did not appear publicly but thanked Fedorov in a Facebook post and said he hoped he would continue to serve Ukraine. “I want him to remain in the Ukrainian team,” Sirsky said without elaborating. Zelensky said he was considering Interior Minister Ihor Klimenko as one of the candidates to succeed Fedorov. It is unclear when MPs will vote on a new defense minister. Zelensky described a difficult relationship between the Defense Ministry and the military on many levels, not just a matter of personalities, and he said both sides share responsibility for the consequences. “Together we win, and together we are responsible for the things that caused confusion and public reaction,” Zelensky said alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Who was making his last trip abroad before leaving office next week. Most young protesters support 60-year-old Fedorov Sirsky, who initially organized the defense of Kiev in February 2022, and planned a successful counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region seven months later. Born in 1965, he attended the Moscow Higher Military Command School before serving in the Soviet Artillery Corps before the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Western officials and analysts say Ukrainian forces have rallied under Fedorov, slowing Moscow’s advance on the front line and attacking refineries and other energy infrastructure inside Russian territory, causing massive fuel shortages. Despite that record, Zelensky’s decision to fire him disappointed many. Before becoming defense minister in January, Fedorov led Ukraine’s digital transformation policies. He gained popularity by leading the rapid development and deployment of drone technology and introducing several successful e-government platforms. As minister, he moved to fight corruption, an issue that holds particular importance among Ukrainians who have repeatedly protested against corruption. He said in interviews that fighting corruption meant working against the interests of groups that had long profited from programs within the ministry. He wanted to make sweeping changes in arms procurement to make it more transparent. He also promised sweeping military reforms and said the army had faced desertions of about 200,000 people and desertions of about 2 million. The mostly young protesters who took to the streets of Kiev and other cities to support Fedorov made lewd comments about the current military commander and chanted, “Syrsky go away!” and “A European Army for a European Country!” Kiev resident Bohdan Huryak said he was “deeply angered” by Fedorov’s exit. “I’m not deeply involved in internal political debates, but this is a person who shows results on the battlefield, we see results, we feel the fighting spirit and confidence in victory,” Huryak told The Associated Press. “And then, six months later, he was fired? Come on.” Russian military correspondents and pro-Kremlin bloggers enjoyed the controversy. Pro-Kremlin political analyst Sergei Markov described Fedorov’s comments as a “rebellion” against Zelensky. Deputy Commander of the Air Force of Ukraine, Colonel Pavlo Yelizarov, stepped down following Fedorov’s dismissal. This would weaken Ukraine’s air defenses and lead to more deaths from Russian missile and drone attacks, he said in his resignation letter posted on social media. “I believe that the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov is a great evil for the country’s defense capability,” he wrote on Facebook. New PM becomes head of state energy company Parliament overwhelmingly approved Serhiy Koretsky, head of state energy company Naftogaz, as the country’s new prime minister. When nominating Koretsky, Zelensky cited his record in the energy sector and argued that he was best prepared to guide Ukraine through another winter when Russian attacks on the power grid will intensify. Unlike other senior government officials, the 48-year-old engineer did not rise through political parties, parliament or the civil service. He spent more than two decades managing fuel and food businesses before being chosen to run some of Ukraine’s most troubled state-owned energy companies and gaining a reputation as an effective crisis manager who could turn them profitable. Zelensky has faced opposition to his decisions in the past. Mass demonstrations broke out in July 2025 after he acted swiftly on a law that would have curbed the independence of the country’s anti-corruption watchdogs. The outcry threatened his leadership for the first time since Russia’s invasion, and he rapidly changed course and introduced legislation to restore the agencies’ independence.