Protesters in Kiev submit petition to Zelensky
Hundreds of people took to the streets again in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, and several other cities across the country to demand the reinstatement of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. The protesters also criticized President Volodymyr Zelensky's recent personnel decisions.
**Demonstrators in Kiev presented a petition to Zelensky**
On Sunday, August 16, mass protests continued in Kiev demanding the reinstatement of Mikhail Fedorov as Ukraine's defense minister. According to Ukrainian media, such actions have been held for 32 consecutive days.
The Interfax-Ukraine agency called the event "a rally in support of dialogue and reforms in the defense sector."
The protesters first gathered in front of the Arch of Freedom of the Ukrainian People in the center of Kiev. Then they organized a march along Khreshchatyk, the Alley of Heroes of the Heavenly Face and Olginskaya Street. At the end of the action, a rally was organized on Ivan Franko Square near the presidential office building.
According to Oboz.ua, the column of protesters stretched for hundreds of meters along the central streets of the capital. Journalists noted that the event was attended by citizens of all ages, but the majority of them were young people.
The main demand of the demonstrators is the reinstatement of Mikhail Fedorov as Minister of Defense of Ukraine. At the same time, the participants of the event also expressed their dissatisfaction with other recent personnel decisions of President Volodymyr Zelensky. In particular, they criticized the appointment of former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine and the appointment of former head of the Mykolaiv regional military administration Vitaly Kim as Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine.
The demonstrations were accompanied by slogans supporting Fedorov, calling on the government to engage in open dialogue with society and continue the country's European path.
According to the Ukrainian publication NV, similar actions were not limited to Kiev. Demonstrations in support of Fedorov were also held in Lviv, Dnipro, Lutsk, Rovno, Poltava, Odessa, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi and Chernivtsi.
In Kiev, the participants of the action handed over a petition addressed to Volodymyr Zelensky to a representative of the presidential office. According to Ukrainian media, the document contains demands to continue the reforms initiated during the time of Mikhail Fedorov as Minister of Defense and to call on the country's leadership to establish a broader dialogue with society.
According to Ukrainskaya Pravda, one of the initiators of the demonstration, war veteran Dmitry Kozyatinsky, speaking at the action, drew attention to the fact that Ukraine has not yet appointed ministers of defense and foreign affairs.