"A war hero becomes a burden overnight?"

Ukraine is in an uproar following the sudden dismissal of Defense Minister Fedorov, a former Deputy Prime Minister for Digital Innovation who was appointed to the post earlier this year, just six months into his tenure.

On the night of July 15 (local time), Defense Minister Fedorov announced his resignation via social media, stating, "It was a great honor to serve the Ukrainian people."

The following day, Fedorov held a press conference and made explosive remarks.

He criticized Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi, claiming that he blocked all the reform proposals he had put forward and was preoccupied with dividing the country instead of focusing on how to defeat Russia.

[Fedorov/Former Ukrainian Defense Minister: Instead of thinking about the Commander-in-Chief's duty—'how to defeat Russia asymmetrically'—he came up with ways to divide the country we are standing on today.]

Fedorov stated that he had requested President Zelenskyy to replace the Commander-in-Chief but was refused, and that ultimately, it was Syrskyi who urged the President to dismiss him.

Fedorov is considered a figure who changed the course of the war in Ukraine.

Early in the war, he personally persuaded Elon Musk to introduce Starlink to the Ukrainian military. Earlier this year, he collaborated with SpaceX to block Starlink terminals that the Russian military had illegally acquired and was using, dealing a significant blow to Russian drone attacks.

Through medium-range drone strikes, he repeatedly hit oil refineries and military facilities within Russia, causing fuel shortages, and successfully implemented a 'logistics blockade' strategy that physically isolated the Crimean Peninsula.

He also innovated the defense procurement system to meet field requirements, launching Brave1, a defense-tech platform that directly connects the military with startups developing innovative military technologies such as drones and AI.

Analysts suggest that in this process, he faced backlash from established defense contractors and challenged corrupt structures.

On the morning of July 16, more than 1,000 citizens gathered in the center of Kyiv, chanting, "Shame," and "Bring back Fedorov."

Simultaneous protests also broke out in other cities, including Lviv, Odesa, and Dnipro.

While President Zelenskyy refrained from providing a direct explanation for the cabinet reshuffle, he effectively acknowledged that there had been conflict between the Ministry of Defense and the military leadership.

[Zelenskyy/President of Ukraine: I am simply pointing out that if both sides cannot resolve the issue, I must resolve it myself.]

President Zelenskyy eventually appointed Yevhen Khmara, who was the acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), as the acting Defense Minister, but effectively postponed the appointment of a permanent successor.

This is interpreted as a move mindful of the public backlash.

As the war enters its fourth and a half year, Ukraine has lost the architect of its drone warfare and now faces a new test of internal power struggles.

Reported by Sim Yeong-gu | Video by Ryu Ji-soo | Graphics by Lee Jeong-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News