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Protests take place in Kyiv and other cities across Ukraine against president Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to replace defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov with major-general Yevheni
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In Short: Protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities against President Zelenskyy's decision to replace Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov with Major-General Yevheni escalate, with critics calling it 'the worst mistake'.
Protests have erupted in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in response to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to replace Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov with Major-General Yevheni, with many expressing strong dissatisfaction. A Ukrainian soldier, speaking to the BBC, described it as 'the worst mistake Zelensky has made during his entire presidency.
At a protest in Ivan Franko square in central Kyiv, Maria Lavrynets, 31, echoed these sentiments, stating, 'I have lots of friends in the military. Lots of them died. I don't want this to go on.' President Zelensky acknowledged the public's reaction, saying, 'People wanted to come out, and that's right. I understand, I hear, and I even react to what society is saying.
Fedorov, who was dismissed, played a significant role in Ukraine's recent attacks on the Moscow-occupied Crimean peninsula, promising to 'cut off' Crimea from Russia entirely through mid-range drone strikes. In a Facebook post, he listed his achievements and vowed to continue his work through 'asymmetry, speed of innovation, and organisational strength.' His dismissal has been met with criticism, with prominent blogger Serhii Sternenko calling him 'the best minister of defence in our entire history.
Background
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which borders it to the east and northeast.
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- "This is the worst mistake Zelensky has made during his entire presidency," Oleksandr, a Ukrainian soldier, told the BBC.
- "I have lots of friends in the military. Lots of them died. I don't want this to go on," Maria Lavrynets, 31, told the BBC at a protest in Ivan Franko square in central Kyiv.
- "People wanted to come out, and that's right. I understand, I hear, and I even react to what society is saying," Zelensky said when asked to comment on the protests.
- His ministry also played a significant part in Ukraine's recent attacks on the Moscow-occupied Crimean peninsula, which last month Fedorov vowed to "cut off" from Russia entirely, with the use of mid-range drone…