Zelenskyy Fires Defence Chief, Protests Erupt

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's dismissal of reformist defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov sparked a second day of street protests in Kyiv and triggered a political crisis.

Fedorov had been the architect of a speed-focused defence modernisation strategy that European allies had recently agreed to build upon.

A former Fedorov advisor accused the military commander of covering up friendly-fire incidents and deliberately weakening brigades.

Zelenskyy appointed Oleksandr Poklad as acting SBU head and brought in a new tech advisor in a broader reshuffle that surprised observers.