Zelensky faces protests over ousting of Ukraine’s defense minister despite military gains | CNN

The removal of Ukraine’s popular defense minister despite recent military successes has sparked rare protests in Kyiv and an unprecedented public split in the military over the conduct of the war against Russia. Mykhaylo Fedorov – who has proved a dynamic and innovative minister in his six months on the job – said late Wednesday he had been removed from the post, amid disagreements with the armed forces chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the protests Thursday and said he was “confident that [Fedorov] will remain on my team, and we will discuss a little later what that will look like.” The removal of Fedorov has set off a political storm in Kyiv and shaken Ukraine’s Western allies. One senior European official in Kyiv told CNN the decision to remove Fedorov was “a bit of a shocker” and suggested it could have wide-ranging repercussions for Ukraine’s relations with key allies, who see Fedorov as committed to efforts to tackle corruption both in the military and the wider government. Fedorov, previously Ukraine’s minister for digital transformation, was popular among troops for improving pay and frontline rotations. If he i