A memorial event for the victims of Olenivka and a rally calling for Fedorov’s resignation were canceled in Kyiv

In Kyiv, due to the threat of rocket attacks, a memorial event for the victims of the terrorist attack in Olenivka on Independence Square and a rally against the resignation of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Franko Square were canceled. 

This was announced by Dmytro Koziatynskyi, the organizer of the rallies against Fedorov’s resignation and a former combat medic with the “Wolves of Vinci” battalion, who urged citizens to refrain from taking to the streets and to save their energy for Friday’s march. The Association of Families of “Azovstal” Defenders also confirmed the cancellation of the commemorative event marking the fourth anniversary of the tragedy, emphasizing the priority of participants’ safety.

Meanwhile, a protest march calling for dialogue and reforms in the defense sector is scheduled for Friday, July 31, at 7:00 p.m. in the capital; it will run from Shevchenko Park to Ivan Franko Square. The canceled events were intended to coincide with the Day of Remembrance for the Defenders of Ukraine Who Died in Captivity. This date was established by the Verkhovna Rada through Resolution No. 4558-IX of July 22, 2025. On the night of July 28–29, 2022, at least 53 Azovstal defenders were killed and more than 130 were wounded as a result of an explosion at Colony No. 120 in Olenivka. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has once again emphasized that this terrorist attack constitutes a gross violation of the Geneva Convention of August 12, 1949, and a serious war crime committed by the Russian Federation.

Source: Interfax-Ukraine.

Protests took place in Kyiv and a number of other Ukrainian cities over the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov from the post of defense minister. Participants demanded that the authorities reinstate him to his position and reconsider the decision.

The majority of Ukrainians have spoken out against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to dismiss Mykhailo Fedorov from the post of defense minister.