Protests sweep Ukraine after Zelensky sacks 'modernising' defence minister Fedorov

Day 1,602. Following President Zelensky’s seismic sacking of 35-year-old Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov – a popular, dynamic moderniser in the government – we bring you the reaction on the streets of Kyiv, where protests have broken out. Reports suggest it was irreconcilable differences with commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi that ultimately got Fedorov dismissed – but also that his personal political ambitions had Zelensky worried. Is this the president’s biggest political miscalculation since his move against the country’s anti-corruption bodies in 2025? Then, we have the latest Ukrainian strikes on Russian ships in the Black Sea. Finally Adelie learns about the remarkably brave women who have become the backbone of the resistance movement in the occupied territories. Contributors: Roland Oliphant (Chief Foreign Analyst). @RolandOliphant on X. Alex Nichol (Telegraph Journalist). Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X. Producer: Phil Atkins Senior Producer: Lilian Fawcett Video Producer: Sophie O’Sullivan Social Producer: Tom Steed Studio Director: Meghan Searle Executive Editor: Francis Dearnley Created by David Knowles NOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE: Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED: Protests erupt after Zelensky fires popular defence minister (The Telegraph): https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/16/protests-erupt-zelensky-fires-defence-minister-fedorov/ Zelensky rejected push to fire Syrskyi as commander-in-chief, Fedorov reveals (Kyiv Independent): https://kyivindependent.com/fedorov-admits-trying-to-replace-syrskyi-before-his-dismissal-as-defense-minister/ Russia's Engels air base reportedly struck in Ukrainian drone attack (Kyiv Independent): https://kyivindependent.com/russias-engels-air-base-reportedly-struck-in-ukrainian-drone-attack/ The Warrior-Witches of Ukraine’s Resistance (Ken Harbaugh in The Atlantic): https://www.theatlantic.com/international/2026/06/underground-intelligence-network-russia-ukraine/687578/ EMAIL US: Contact the team on [email protected]. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible. HIGHLIGHTS: Protests sweep Ukraine Zelensky sacks 'modernising' defence minister Fedorov Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.