Ukrainian's Zelenskyy faces major backlash for ousting defense chief Mykhailo Fedorov amid progress vs. Russia

Kyiv, Ukraine — Hundreds of protesters gathered in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities Thursday after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a widely respected figure whose ouster sparked a swift backlash. 

It is part of a cabinet shakeup that had already raised eyebrows for its timing, coming right as Ukraine is seen by many analysts as turning the tide against Russia's nearly 4½-year full-scale invasion. 

CBS News' Aidan Stretch reports that many observers have credited the outgoing cabinet with Ukraine's recent successes in countering Russia's assault. The reshuffle looked set to become a test of Zelenskyy's political authority as Ukraine's fight against Russia continues. The president has remained in office under martial law, because wartime elections are prohibited, and he has periodically reshuffled his government.

"Fedorov was not the problem"  

One university student holding a sign that read "Fedorov was not the problem" explained his logic to CBS News: "The problem is this government — it is Zelenskyy. Fedorov did a great job." 

"In our government, they do a lot of corruption, and Fedorov fights corruption," the student said. "He is the person who will change Ukraine."   

The deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force was quick to submit his own resignation Thursday in protest of Fedorov's ouster.

"I believe that the removal of M. Fedorov is a great evil for the country's defense capability," deputy Air Force Commander Pavlo Yelizarov wrote in a Facebook post with a copy of his resignation letter attached.

The pro-goverment media organization United24 announced a pause in its publications meanwhile, to "take part in protests following the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov." 

One member of the Ukrainian Parliament in Zelenskyy's own party told CBS News, "100% we will not accept" Fedorov's replacement.

Ukrainian armed forces commander-in-chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi , who had clashed with Fedorov, called in a social media post for a "focus on war and on an effective strategy" against Russia.

Zelenskyy cited friction between Fedorov and Syrskyi in his decision to replace the defense minister, saying at a news conference Thursday that he was "just showing that if the sides can't resolve an issue, I will have to resolve it."  

Fedorov turned tech ties into battlefield wins 

Before becoming the defense chief, Fedorov, 35, was a tech entrepreneur with close ties to Silicon Valley. He is seen as a widely liked figure in Washington, often credited with improving ties with the Trump administration as well as orchestrating Ukraine's efforts to cut off Russian fuel and logistics flows to Crimea, the southern peninsula occupied by Russia since 2014. 

Fedorov appeared at a news conference in a dark T-shirt and jeans Thursday and accused Syrskyi of blocking reforms needed because "the war has changed completely" due to new technology like drones.

Fedorov said he was willing to work with Syrskyi, "but we encountered a situation in which all the initiatives we proposed began to be blocked ... Under this arrangement, I personally do not know how the war can be won."

In February, Fedorov negotiated an agreement with Elon Musk that saw Russia barred from using the American tech magnate's Starlink satellite internet service. Following the agreement, Ukraine's military made its largest territorial gains in more than two years. 

And as Ukraine's pilots expanded their own use of Starlink, which allows operators to maintain connections to drones at increased ranges, new Russian territories came under threat. In June, Russian officials were forced to cut off gas sales to civilians in Crimea, the southern Ukrainian peninsula occupied by Russia since 2014, following Ukrainian drone strikes in the region. 

"One of the most influential projects on the battlefield was the way that he negotiated the use of Starlink with Elon Musk," a source in Ukraine's armed forces, who requested anonymity, told CBS News' Stretch on Thursday. "This literally shows, on the battlefield, the whole campaign in Crimea, tons of strikes, it's all enabled by Starlink. Without it, it wouldn't be possible."

Fedorov also created opportunities for international partners, including the United States, to contribute and learn from the battlefield successes. Experts say Ukraine's Brave 1, a defense ecosystem connecting the country's nimble defense startups with financing and international partnerships, made the country the first with a military to organize a procurement system around low-cost drones that have come to dominate modern warfare. It also allowed foreign companies to receive data from the Ukrainian battlefield.

Several officials told CBS News that Fedorov's growing popularity had led some in Kyiv to view him as a potential political rival to Zelenskyy, and the Economist reported this week that there had been friction between Fedorov and some of Ukraine's top generals, including Syrskyi.

The tumult over Zelenskyy's decision to oust Fedorov as part of the shakeup came as Ukraine's parliament approved a new prime minister, a day after lawmakers accepted Yulia Svyrydenko's resignation. Former CEO of the Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz, Serhii Koretskyi, was approved by lawmakers as the new premier on Thursday.      

The president has said the changes are aimed at preparing Ukraine for another difficult winter and strengthening relations with key foreign partners. But officials and lawmakers say the reshuffle also reflects broader political calculations inside Kyiv.

"Ukraine is changing its political strategy. Each priority area of foreign policy will be assigned to a specific person with substantial experience who is capable of implementing what we agree on at the leaders' level and what the Ukrainian people expect," Zelenskyy wrote on X. "The same applies to our domestic work … Preparing for winter is an extremely important priority, and Ukraine must be ready for every threat that may arise."

Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Koretskyi was the most appropriate candidate for the government's priority of preparing Ukraine for another difficult winter. He cited the Naftogaz chief's experience in the energy sector.

Speaking Thursday in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the importance of Zelenskyy's shakeup to the war, telling reporters that "changes in the structure of the Kyiv regime, including personnel changes in the government, are of no fundamental importance to Russia."

"It doesn't matter who heads the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense; the main thing is that there is someone in Kyiv who is capable of making decisions that would lead to a resolution of the conflict. Kyiv is well aware of the decisions that need to be made for this," he said, adding that in Russia's view, there are currently "no prospects for a quick resumption of peaceful negotiations on Ukraine."