Mykhailo Fedorov, removed as Ukraine Defense Minister on Wednesday

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Wednesday’s Coverage: Deadliest Month for Civilians from Russia’s Strikes Since April 2022

UPDATE 0752 GMT:

Ukraine’s air defenses downed three missiles and 129 drones fired by Russia overnight. However, six missiles and 16 UAVs struck 15 locations.

UPDATE 0703 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has nominated Serhii Koretskyi, CEO of State oil and gas company Naftogaz, as Prime Minister.

Zelensky dismissed Yulia Svyrydenko on Tuesday amid a Cabinet reshuffle. The President posted on Wednesday:

Our diplomats — and everyone else — will do everything possible to force Russia to engage in dialogue and secure a ceasefire….

If we’re heading into winter, we have to be ready. We’ve been preparing for it for a long time already, but the priorities are clear….That’s why, after all the consultations, Serhii Koretskyi is probably the best-prepared person to serve as Ukraine’s Prime Minister.

UPDATE 0653 GMT:

Ukrainian drones struck the Engels-2 airbase in Russia’s Saratov region overnight.

Photos and videos showed a fire burning in the area of the base. War monitors geolocated the blazes as emanating from the military installation.

Engels-2 is almost 600 km (370 miles) from Ukraine’s frontline,. It is home to the 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment and 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment. Their bombers are regularly used to launch missiles at Ukrainian cities.

UPDATE 0647 GMT:

At least two people have been murdered and six injured by Russia slammed Ukraine’s capital with ballistic missiles in an overnight attack on July 16, killing at least two people, and injuring six other, officials said.

Explosions rocked Kyiv shortly before 1 a.m. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that at least eight ballistic missiles were headed toward Kyiv.

A 16-year-old boy is among the wounded. Warehouses and non-residential buildings were damaged.

Drones also targeted Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky posted:

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Wednesday.

The dismissal followed a meeting with military leadership. Rumors had been building for days that Fedorov would be removed, albeit with no clear reason why.

Fedorov, 35, had taken the position in January after his success as the minister overseeing digital innovation. His replacement is Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

Fedorov confirmed his departure, posting that it was “a great honor to serve the Ukrainian people as Defense Minister”. He cited successes including the shutdown of Starlink systems for Russian forces, the campaign against Russian logistics in occupied Crimea, and “an unpopular but extremely important” military reform initiative.

He said that he was unable to transform Ukraine’s defense ministry fully “in accordance with NATO and common sense”; to overhaul the procurement system; and to build “a culture of accountability.”

It was not clear if Fedorov will be offered another post in the Government. He wrote, “I will continue to work toward the mission I came to the Defense Ministry with — to defeat the enemy through asymmetry, the speed of innovation, and the strength of our organization.”

The dismissal is likely to be criticized widely. Fedorov was hailed for innovations in the defense against Russia’s invasion and in Ukraine’s counter-attacks that have put pressure on the Kremlin and threatened to cut off occupied Crimea.

Protests in Kyiv and Other Cities

Protesters gathered in central Kyiv this morning. Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran and organizer of mass protests last summer for the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies, called for demonstrations.

“The Defense Minister is being removed in the middle of effective — finally effective! — reforms, replaced by someone under whom any hope of reform can be forgotten,” he posted. Denouncing a pattern of “replacing effective ministers with convenient yes-men”, he wrote, “We will never defeat Russia as long as the same total stagnation and corruption rule our army and our ministries.”

Demonstrators are also gathering in other cities across Ukraine.

Legislators claimed Zelensky removed Fedorov because of an unresolved conflict with the military’s commander-in-chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky.

The sources said Fedorov wanted to build a technology-centered military system, but commanders believed the ministry was not meeting their immediate operational needs. Syrsky reportedly complained that equipment was not provided for specific operations, while Fedorov argued that resources had been delivered but had been used incorrectly.

The legislators said Zelensky told them that he could not allow the Defense Ministry and General Staff to “fight each other” during the war. He criticized Fedorov for failing to complete the promised mobilization reform.

Colonel Pavel Elizarov, the Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, resigned in solidarity with Fedorov: “I believe the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov is a grave blow to the country’s defense potential. Glory to Ukraine!”

Serhii Sternenko, a prominent Ukrainian activist appointed as Fedorov’s adviser on drone warfare in January, said he was stepping down. He wrote, “Mykhailo Fedorov is the best Minister of Defense in our entire history….It is a shame that today our state has become much further from victory.”

Protesters in Kyiv held placards and chanted, “Bring back Fedorov,” “Shame,” and “Resign Syrsky”.