Thousands of people took to the streets to protest in Kyiv and other regions
On Friday, July 31, mass protests took place across Ukraine. They spread to Kyiv and about 30 other cities. One of the organizers of the protests, veteran and activist Dmytro Koziatynskyi, called them among the largest in recent years and stated that the authorities must heed the protesters’ demands.
On Friday, July 31, Ukrainians took to the streets in Kyiv and across the regions. In the capital, thousands of people marched, while in other cities, protesters gathered in central squares. According to one of the protest organizers, veteran and activist Dmytro Koziatynskyi—a former combat medic with the “Wolves of Vinci” battalion—the protests took place in approximately 30 cities across Ukraine.
He called the July 31 protest one of the largest in recent times.
People did not disperse even during the air raid alert
Kozyatynsky said that when the air raid siren sounded in Kyiv, the protesters refused to disperse. “When the air raid siren went off in Kyiv, the protesters refused to disperse and chanted, ‘We’re standing here, and we’ll keep standing here.’ It’s impossible not to hear such a huge crowd,” the activist wrote on Facebook.
In his view, the authorities should take note of the number of people taking to the streets. “I’m surprised that the president continues to ignore his people. This has already become an institutional problem, since it was precisely the lack of communication that was the root cause of this crisis,” Kozyatynsky stated.
He also said that discontent and anger are building up in Ukrainian society. Separately, the activist expressed concern about how the state is preparing for a difficult winter amid the war.
Activists Demand Fedorov’s Reinstatement
Kozyatynsky emphasized that key government positions, especially during wartime, should be held by people who understand what needs to be done and can deliver concrete results.
He also appealed directly to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling on him to meet the protesters’ demands. “Mr. President, I am appealing to you to meet the demands of your people so that we no longer have to chant slogans to the sound of sirens. You must put an end to the protests by reinstating Fedorov to the Ministry of Defense. Yesterday, we took a step toward you—now take a step toward your people,” the activist said.
How the protests began
The protests over personnel decisions at the Ministry of Defense began on July 16. Among the protesters’ main demands is the reinstatement of Mykhailo Fedorov as Minister of Defense. On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada approved the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine following a proposal by the newly appointed Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi.
At the same time, no Minister of Foreign Affairs or Minister of Defense was appointed under the presidential quota. No nominations for these positions were received at that time. On July 20, the government temporarily assigned Yevhen Khmara to serve as acting Minister of Defense. Prior to that, on July 17, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy relieved him of his temporary duties as acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine and from his position as head of the SBU’s Special Operations Center “A.”
Fedorov stated that he wishes to remain at the Ministry of Defense
On July 23, former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov thanked President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the proposed options for his future work. At the same time, he stated that he wanted to have a direct impact on the course of the war. Therefore, Fedorov declined the other proposed positions and stated that he was ready to serve specifically as Minister of Defense.
According to the protest organizers, the demonstrations have been ongoing indefinitely since July 24. They plan to continue them until Fedorov is appointed Minister of Defense. The protests on July 31 marked another large-scale demonstration by supporters of this demand. According to Kozyatynsky, the authorities must now respond to the people’s stance and propose a solution. This was reported by one of the protest organizers, veteran and activist Dmytro Kozyatynsky, a former combat medic with the “Wolves of da Vinci” battalion.
The Kyiv City State Administration received a request from activists to hold a march in the center of the capital on July 31. The event was planned to protest the resignation of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
