The Kyiv Independent asked people on the streets of Kyiv how they assess the military leadership shakeup, what changes they expect under Drapatyi's command, and whether they believe Fedorov should continue shaping Ukraine's defense policy.

This week's letters come from readers reflecting on the dismissal of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. An American military veteran argues the decision may harm the country's reform movement, and a British scholar urges Ukrainians to preserve military reforms while avoiding divisions that could benefit Russia. Got an opinion on anything you've read in the Kyiv Independent? Send it to letters@kyivindependent.com — your letter may appear in our Letters section. As Ukraine’s Crimea campai

Key developments on July 22: * Ukraine protests to continue despite Syrskyi's firing as organizers demand Fedorov's return * Warehouses of Russia's largest online retailer Wildberries burn as Ukraine strikes Krasnodar, Stavropol regions * 13 more Russian shadow fleet vessels struck in Azov Sea and Black Sea over last 2 days, Ukraine says * Trump's NATO envoy arrives in Kyiv for talks on Patriot missiles, drone deal Ukrainians will gather for another protest in Kyiv on July 24 to demand the

Blackouts were reported throughout occupied Crimea, and massive fires broke out in several southern Russian cities amid Ukrainian strikes on retail logistics facilities overnight on July 22, according to monitoring channels.

Mykhailo Drapatyi's appointment was met with celebration among Ukrainian military personnel and protesters, while Russian social media users contrasted Ukraine's political system with Russia's and warned about the new commander-in-chief, describing him as someone who "hates (Russian soldiers) and hates them consistently."

"Every illicit voyage helps sustain Russia's war machine. We are matching our sanctions with actions at sea," the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas tweeted.

"We had a good talk — first and foremost on how to protect Ukrainian skies with more Patriot interceptor supplies through PURL," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

Ukraine and Moldova have demonstrated strong progress and dedication, and we believe the EU should continue advancing their negotiations without unnecessary delays," Lithuania's EU representation told the Kyiv Independent.

The Ukrainian government's resignation last week has become something of an annual ritual. Each iteration is presented as a fresh start, yet together they point to a far more significant problem — a persistent crisis of governance. Before founding a civil society organization focused on defense sector reform, I served as a government official in Ukraine. During my time in government, I learned firsthand how difficult it can be to pursue a real change from within the system. When I initiated re

The comment comes a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Drapatyi's appointment as he faced pressure from mass protests in Kyiv and across the country to dismiss former Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Editor's note: The full names of some service members quoted in this story have not been disclosed for security reasons. Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi took over as Ukraine's commander-in-chief on July 21 after President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi, elevating one of the military's most battle-tested commanders to its top post. "Drapatyi commands tremendous respect within the Ukrainian military — something that is extremely difficult to earn," Artem Kariakin, a soldier of th

According to the poll, 72% of the respondents did not support Fedorov’s dismissal, 5% backed it, and 17% said they were indifferent.

Russian troops launched an Iskander-M ballistic missile, three guided Kh-59/69 missiles, and 216 drones against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. It reported downing three guided Kh-59/69 missiles and 204 of the drones in the north, center, south, and east of the country.

Russia's chief diplomat said he believes Washington has not yet rejected proposals made at last year's summit in Anchorage between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump.

The EU is set to tie billions of euros in financial support to Kyiv's ability to complete the so-called Kachka-Kos plan for rule-of-law reforms, after months of inertia in Ukraine's parliament and a recent government reshuffle interpreted by some as another attempt to avoid making those changes. President Volodymyr Zelensky decided on July 12 to reshuffle the country's government, a controversial move that has led to consecutive days of protests over the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo F

"We still gotta bring back Fedorov," protest organizer and veteran Dmytro Koziatynskyi wrote.

The 13 vessels that were struck over July 21-22 included 10 dry cargo ships, two tugboats, and a tanker, according to Brovdi.

The Washington-based lender called Ukraine's performance "broadly satisfactory" in a press release announcing its approval, but emphasized that several conditions of the program were either completed with a delay or missed entirely.

President Volodymyr Zelensky and former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov remain locked in a political standoff, with neither side willing to compromise as protests over the minister's dismissal pause for three days, people familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. Days after thousands of people rallied against Fedorov's dismissal, both camps remain committed to their maximalist positions. Zelensky fired Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi in an attempt to defuse public anger, but h

Latest: Zelensky dismisses Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi amid widespread protests. Thousands of protesters gathered nightly in central Kyiv in recent days, many of them calling out the name of one of Ukraine's most respected generals: "Drapatyi!" The mass protest in the capital, which began on July 15 after President Volodymyr Zelensky ousted Ukraine's popular, reform-minded Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, had turned into a call to replace Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief. As details

President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 21 dismissed the Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, appointing Joint Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapatyi as his replacement. The move comes amid ongoing mass protests in Kyiv and across Ukraine, in which demonstrators have demanded that Syrskyi be removed from his post. Zelensky thanked Syrskyi for his service, praising his role in some of Ukraine's most significant military operations during the full-scale war. "Oleksandr Syrs

Key developments on July 21: * Ukraine strikes Russian fighter jet, air defense system in Kursk Oblast, General Staff says * Fires break out in Russia's Lipetsk amid reported overnight attack * Zelensky's office welcomes pro-Trump influencer Laura Loomer's visit to Ukraine * Russian attacks kill at least 10, injure 87 over past day, heavily damaging residential areas across Ukraine A Russian MiG-29 fighter jet and a Pantsir-S1 air defense system were struck at the Khalino airfield in Russi

Russia occupied and illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. In recent months, Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted power substations, bridges, ferry crossings, air defenses, military logistics routes, and Russian vessels in the Black and Azov seas as part of a broader campaign to isolate Crimea.

The past month has seen an entire string of successes in Ukraine's war against Russia, with both long-range attacks and swarms of drone strikes slowly turning the tide in Kyiv's favor. Few things, though, have been as successful as Ukraine's efforts to isolate the occupied region of Crimea, forcing Russian authorities to declare a state of emergency as Kyiv continues to bombard the peninsula. The successes, however, haven't been only military. In its months-long campaign to strangle Russia’s h

"It is really important that Laura Loomer is in Ukraine and sees things with her own eyes as they are," Zelensky's office said.

Nikita Malyshev signed a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry on April 8, the day after his 18th birthday. A little more than two months later, he was dead, becoming the youngest known Russian serviceman killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Malyshev came from Buryatia, a remote Russian republic in eastern Siberia that has supplied some of the highest numbers of contract soldiers and suffered some of the highest losses of any region since the start of the full-scale invasion. Days afte

"Cultural events funded by European taxpayers' money should safeguard democratic values and foster open dialogue, diversity, and freedom of expression — values which are not respected in today's Russia," European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said.

Striking both the fighter jet and the Pantsir-S1 weakens Russia's ability to protect military sites from Ukrainian attacks.

Sumy came under repeated Russian strikes, reflecting Moscow's growing use of double-tap attacks, which cause further destruction and put both civilians and rescuers at risk.

The figure includes 1,370 personnel losses recorded over the past day.

Fires broke out at industrial facilities in the Russian city of Lipetsk after reports of an overnight attack, with independent monitoring channels claiming the affected sites included a major steel plant and a power facility.

President Volodymyr Zelensky is considering replacing Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi amid calls from protesters to dismiss him, Bloomberg reported on July 20, citing two unnamed sources familiar with the matter.