Ukrainians protest Zelenskyy's ouster of his popular defense minister

KYIV, Ukraine – President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shook up his wartime government, drawing thousands into the streets Thursday across Ukraine to protest the ouster of his youthful defense minister — seen as an innovator of the country’s successful drone technology but who clashed with the traditional military establishment.

The personnel overhaul, which included replacing his prime minister, could become a test of Zelenskyy’s political authority as Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches 4½ years. Zelenskyy has remained in office under martial law because wartime elections are prohibited but has periodically reshuffled his government.

kAm%96 >@G6D E9C6H &:=:E2CJ =6256CD9:A :?E@ 2? F?H6=4@>6 4C:D:D 2E 2 E:>6 H96? :ED 24E:@?D 282:?DE #FDD:2 2C6 DE2CE:?8 E@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^CFDD:2\F:5C2?86\5C@?6D\H2C\4_h_h5344bg5dhf`ca5`4eeahfh4gc_eQm362C 7CF:Ek^2m 2?5 2D |@D4@H 92D F?=62D965 F?C6=6?E:?8 26C:2= 2EE24:DD:=6D 9:E E96 42A:E2= @7 zJ:G @G6C?:89E[ &6C86?4J $6CG:46 D2:5]k^Am

kAmx? >2<:?8 E96 492?86D[ +6=6?D^2CE:4=6^DJCD<:\F>2?56C\2C>J\49:67\K6=6?D>2?56C @7 &65 7@C46D]k^Am

kAm“x’> ;FDE D9@H:?8 E92E :7 E96 D:56D 42?’E C6D@=G6 2? :DDF6[ x H:== 92G6 E@ C6D@=G6 :E[” +6=6?D

k9bm%96 @FE8@:?8 5676?D6 49:67 H2D D66? 2D 2 >@56C?:K6Ck^9bm

kAmu65@C@G[ bd[ 😀 4@?D:56C65 E@ 36 2 G:8@C@FD >@56C?:K6C H9@D6 E649?@=@8:42= 6IA6CE:D6 😀 4C65:E65 😕 A2CE H:E9 D:8?:7:42?E=J :>AC@G:?8 &:=:E2CJ A6C7@C>2?46 😕 C646?E >@?E9D 282:?DE #FDD:2’D 3:886C 2C>J] w6 😀 =62G:?8 E96 8@G6C?>6?E 27E6C @?=J D:I >@?E9D 😕 E96 A@DE]k^Am

kAmu65@C@G 2AA62C65 2E 2 ?6HD 4@?76C6?46 😕 2 52C< %\D9:CE 2?5 ;62?D[ 2?5 244FD65 $JCDD ?66565 3642FD6 “E96 H2C 92D 492?865 4@>A=6E6=J” 5F6 E@ ?6H E649?@=@8J =:<6 5C@?6D]k^Am

kAmsFC:?8 9:D E:>6 😕 @77:46[ 96 D64FC65 C6DEC:4E:@?D @? #FDD:2? 7@C46D’ 2446DD E@ E96 $E2C=:?< D2E6==:E6 4@>>F?:42E:@?D DJDE6>[ 2==@H:?8 &^2CE:4=6^CFDD:2\F:5C2?86\5C@?6D\H2C\4_h_h5344bg5dhf`ca5`4eeahfh4gc_eQm:ED >:5C2?86 DEC:<6 42A23:=:E:6Dk^2m 8:G:?8 zJ:G D:8?:7:42?E 32EE=67:6=5 25G2?E286D]k^Am

kAmu65@C@G D2:5 96 H2D H:==:?8 E@ H@C< H:E9 $JCD

kAm“&?56C E9:D 2CC2?86>6?E WH:E9 $JCD>2?56CX[ x A6CD@?2==J 5@ ?@E @H 9@H E96 H2C 42? 36 H@?[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm~? D@4:2= >65:2[ u65@C@G 9:89=:89E65 H92E 96 42==65 9:D >2;@C 249:6G6>6?EDi C65:C64E:?8 7F?5D 62C>2C<65 7@C D2=2C:6D :?E@ >:5C2?86 DEC:<6 42A23:=:E:6D[ 7:36C\@AE:4 5C@?6D[ C64@??2:DD2?46 DJDE6>D 2?5 @E96C E649?@=@8:6D] w6 A@:?E65 E@ 6IA2?565 5C@?6 AC@4FC6>6?E[ !2EC:@E >:DD:=6 5676?D6 4@?EC24ED[ DF446DD7F= 32==:DE:4 >:DD:=6 E6DED 2?5 DH66A:?8 492?86D E@ >:=:E2CJ AC@4FC6>6?E]k^Am

kAmqFE 96 24@H=65865 96 H2D F?23=6 E@ 4@>A=6E6 E96 s676?D6 |:?:DECJ’D @C82?:K2E:@?2= EC2?D7@C>2E:@? “244@C5:?8 E@ }p%~ DE2?52C5D 2?5 4@>>@? D6?D6[” 2?5 >@G6 2== AC@4FC6>6?E E@ 4@>A6E:E:G6 E6?56CD[ 2?5 3F:=5 2 4F=EFC6 @7 244@F?E23:=:EJ]k^Am

kAm$JCD E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ C6>2:? 😕 E96 &[” $JCD

kAm+6=6?D6?<@ 2D @?6 @7 E96 42?5:52E6D E@ DF44665 u65@C@G] xEVD F?4=62C H96? =2H>2<6CD H:== G@E6 @? E96 ?6H 5676?D6 >:?:DE6C]k^Am

kAm+6=6?D:=:E2CJ 2E >F=E:A=6 =6G6=D[ ?@E D:>A=J 2 >2EE6C @7 A6CD@?2=:E:6D[ 2?5 96 D2:5 3@E9 D:56D D92C6 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C E96 4@?D6BF6?46D]k^Am

kAm“%@86E96C H6 H:?[ 2?5 E@86E96C H6’C6 C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C E96 E9:?8D E92E 42FD6 4@?7FD:@? 2?5 AF3=:4 C624E:@?[” +6=6?D6 |:?:DE6C z6:C $E2C>6C[ H9@ H2D >2<:?8 9:D 7:?2= 7@C6:8? G:D:E 367@C6 =62G:?8 @77:46 ?6IE H66<]k^Am

k9bm|@DE=J J@F?8 AC@E6DE6CD DFAA@CE u65@C@Gk^9bm

kAm$JCD@?E9D =2E6C >2DE6C>:?565 2 DF446DD7F= 4@F?E6C@776?D:G6 😕 E96 z92C<:G C68:@?] q@C? 😕 `hed[ 96 2EE6?565 E96 |@D4@H w:896C |:=:E2CJ r@>>2?5 $49@@= 367@C6 D6CG:?8 😕 E96 $@G:6E pCE:==6CJ r@CAD 367@C6 E96 &$$#VD 4@==2AD6 😕 `hh`]k^Am

kAm%96 &:=:E2CJ 92D C2==:65 F?56C u65@C@G[ D=@H:?8 |@D4@H’D 7C@?E\=:?6 25G2?46 E@ 2 G:CEF2= DE2?5DE:== 2?5 DEC:<:?8 C67:?6C:6D 2?5 @E96C 6?6C8J :?7C2DECF4EFC6 566A :?D:56 #FDD:2? E6CC:E@CJ[ 42FD:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^CFDD:2\F 56DA:E6 E92E C64@C5 92D 5:D>2J65 >2?J A6@A=6]k^Am

kAmq67@C6 364@>:?8 5676?D6 >:?:DE6C 😕 y2?F2CJ[ u65@C@G 962565 &2E:@? A@=:4:6D] w6 H@? A@AF=2C:EJ 3J DA62C9625:?8 E96 C2A:5 56G6=@A>6?E 2?5 56A=@J>6?E @7 5C@?6 E649?@=@8J 2?5 :?EC@5F4:?8 D6G6C2= DF446DD7F= 6\8@G6C?>6?E A=2E7@C>D]k^Am

kAmpD >:?:DE6C[ 96 >@G65 E@ 4@>32E 4@CCFAE:@?[ 2? :DDF6 E92E 42CC:6D A2CE:4F=2C H6:89E H:E9 &62?E H@C<:?8 282:?DE E96 :?E6C6DED @7 8C@FAD E92E 925 =@?8 AC@7:E65 7C@> AC@8C2>D H:E9:? E96 >:?:DECJ[ 96 D2:5 😕 :?E6CG:6HD]k^Am

kAmw6 H2D D66<:?8 E@ @G6C92F= H62A@?D AC@4FC6>6?E E@ >2<6 :E >@C6 EC2?DA2C6?E]k^Am

kAmw6 2=D@ AC@>:D65 DH66A:?8 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^CFDD:2\F:=:E2CJ C67@C>Dk^2m[ D2J:?8 E96 >:=:E2CJ 925 72465 23@FE a__[___ 56D6CE:@?D 2?5 5C27E\5@58:?8 3J D@>6 a >:==:@? A6@A=6]k^Am

kAm%96 >@DE=J J@F?8 AC@E6DE6CD H9@ E@@< E@ E96 DEC66ED @7 zJ:G 2?5 @E96C 4:E:6D E@ DFAA@CE u65@C@G >256 4CF56 C6>2C:=:E2CJ 4@>>2?56C[ 492?E:?8[ “$JCDJ 7@C 2 tFC@A62? 4@F?ECJP”k^Am

kAmzJ:G C6D:56?E q@952? wFCJ2< D2:5 96 H2D “566A=J @FEC2865” 3J u65@C@G’D 6I:E]k^Am

kAm“x’> ?@E 566A=J :?G6DE65 😕 E96 :?E6C?2= A@=:E:42= 5632E6D[ 3FE E9:D 😀 2 A6CD@? H9@ D9@HD C6DF=ED @? E96 32EE=67:6=5[ H6 D66 C6DF=ED[ H6 766= E96 7:89E:?8 DA:C:E 2?5 4@?7:56?46 😕 G:4E@CJ C:D:?8[” wFCJ2< E@=5 %96 pDD@4:2E65 !C6DD] “p?5 E96?[ D:I >@?E9D =2E6C[ 96 😀 C6>@G65 7C@> @77:46n r@>6 @?]”k^Am

Ukrainians protest Zelenskyy’s ouster of his popular defense minister | Latest News

Tags: