Residents of Odesa joined the nationwide wave of protests in support of the dismissed defense minister

The events in the capital also made an impact in Odesa. Early in the morning, residents gathered to publicly express their views on personnel decisions that had sparked widespread public reaction.

This was reported by an Intenta correspondent.

A rally in support of the dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov took place on Deribasovskaya Street in downtown Odessa. Dozens of residents joined the rally, including representatives of the civic organizations “My City” and “Vyshyvanka Festival,” as well as concerned Odessa residents.

<picture></picture>Rally in Odessa. PHOTO: Intent

Protesters held signs and called on the authorities to reconsider the decision to dismiss the official. According to the organizers, the protest was part of a nationwide wave of demonstrations taking place in various cities across the country.

One of the rally participants, Valeria, explained in a comment that she came to the rally out of a sense of civic duty.

Yesterday’s news was very disheartening, so this is simply an expression of my civic stance. It’s also a demonstration that we need to take responsibility into our own hands. Even when people didn’t yet know whether there would be a rally or not, I decided I needed to be here at nine in the morning. “Initiative is very important in this country when the government isn’t ready to take the lead,” Valeria noted.

The day before, news broke of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s personnel decision regarding Mykhailo Fedorov. According to information shared by members of parliament, the head of state explained his decision by citing the need to regulate the interaction between the leadership of the Ministry of Defense and the military command.

<picture></picture>Rally in Odesa. PHOTO: Intent

As noted in a report by BBC News Ukraine, the president’s conversation with Fedorov lasted nearly two hours, after which his resignation was announced. One of the reasons cited for the decision was a conflict between the defense minister and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

On the eve of his dismissal, Mykhailo Fedorov released a final statement in which he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve in his position and summarized his tenure.

<picture></picture>Rally in Odesa. PHOTO: Intent

Also on July 15, a “Honor!” rally took place in Odesa. The event’s organizer, Anastasia Lukashuk, noted that participants were taking to the streets to support the families of military personnel.  

Анна Бальчінос