Ukraine Protesters Demand Army Chief’s Ouster As Russian Strikes Kill Civilians

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Protesters in Kyiv called for the dismissal of Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, after a new round of deadly Russian strikes and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s removal of a popular defense minister sparked outrage.

Several thousand people gathered outside the presidential office for a second day after Mykhailo Fedorov, a 35-year-old tech expert who has been partly credited with Ukraine’s recent successes in the war against Russia, was not reappointed in a surprise government reshuffle.

The protests also came amid demands for a more modern approach to warfare, as at least six people were reported killed and 20 wounded in Russian attacks across Ukraine overnight.

In the southern port city of Odesa, two people were killed and 10 others injured, including a woman who had been walking in a park with her children, who survived, regional military administration head Oleh Kiper said.

In the nearby port city of Mykolaiv, regional prosecutors said a Russian drone attack damaged three civilian-flagged vessels, killing two Ukrainian civilians who were aboard one of the ships.

RUSSIAN STRIKES INTENSIFY

In the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, two people were killed and five others injured in a Russian strike, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strikes on Odesa targeted port infrastructure used by the Ukrainian military as well as a drone production facility. Ukrainian authorities did not report damage to port facilities in Odesa.

Ukraine also claimed success in retaliatory operations. Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s drone forces, said several Russian vessels were struck in the Black Sea.

Among the vessels hit were nine cargo ships, a tanker, a gas transport vessel, and a tugboat, he said.

“The fleet hunt continues,” Brovdi wrote on social media. He said the strikes were intended to disable vessels and disrupt the transport of oil, fuel, and cargo, allegedly used to circumvent international sanctions.

UKRAINE CLAIMS RETALIATORY GAINS

“It is not the goal to pollute the waters with oil slicks, so no holes in the hulls,” Brovdi stressed.

He added that since July 6, Ukrainian forces had attacked 159 Russian vessels in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Those figures could not be independently verified.

Zelenskyy also said Ukraine destroyed a strategic Tu-95 bomber parked at Russia’s Engels airbase, about 800 kilometers (497 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The president claimed the aircraft had been used in missile attacks on Ukraine.

“We are defending ourselves justly and proactively,” he said. There was no immediate response from Moscow.

However, as the fighting intensified, demonstrators in Kyiv questioned how much longer the war would continue after more than four years of conflict following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

ANGER OVER MILITARY LEADERSHIP

A 27-year-old protester named Andriy, a combat medic who lost his lower leg in the war, held a cardboard sign reading: “Can’t stand. Won’t stay silent.”

He said Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi “had conflicts not only with the defense minister, but also with brigade and corps commanders.”

“If he stays, we will simply be ineffective,” added Andriy, whose brother was killed on the battlefield.

“We could simply lose this war. We could lose,” he warned.

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