Story perspectives

Ukraine Air Deputy Resigns, Mass Protests Demand Fedorov Return

7/16/2026

Summary

Story summary

Deputy commander of Ukraine's air force Pavlo Yelizarov resigned, calling the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov a “great evil”.
More than a thousand people gathered in Kyiv's central square, waving flags and chanting “shame” and “bring Fedorov back”.
Officials said friction between Fedorov and army commander Oleksandr Syrskyi contributed to the minister’s removal, which President Volodymyr Zelensky cited at a news conference.

History

Historical Context

After Ukraine declared independence in 1991 and built its armed forces from Soviet units, chronic under-funding left only half of the promised 68 million hryvnia for reforms in 2001. The 2014 annexation of Crimea triggered a defence law allocating $5 billion and NATO-led training for 12,000 troops, reshaping the command. Current protests over Deputy Commander Pavlo Yelizarov echo those 2014 power struggles, underscoring the reform agenda’s fragility.

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Story summary

Deputy commander of Ukraine's air force Pavlo Yelizarov resigned, calling the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov a “great evil”.
More than a thousand people gathered in Kyiv's central square, waving flags and chanting “shame” and “bring Fedorov back”.
Officials said friction between Fedorov and army commander Oleksandr Syrskyi contributed to the minister’s removal, which President Volodymyr Zelensky cited at a news conference.

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