Decoding Ukraine’s defense minister controversy

Thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets of Kyiv and other cities on Thursday to protest President Volodymyr Zelensky’s removal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov after only six months in office. Wartime protests are rare in Ukraine. Following the resignation of presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak amid an anti-corruption investigation in November 2025, Fedorov…