Overnight Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least four civilians and injured 20 others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday, as his government's surprise defence leadership shake-up sparked political controversy and public protests.
The attacks came a day after Zelenskyy announced a major Cabinet reshuffle, including the appointment of a new prime minister and the dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a move that has drawn criticism from military circles and the public despite recent battlefield gains against Russian forces.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in several Ukrainian cities on Thursday to protest Fedorov's removal, with more rallies expected on Friday.
Fedorov, 35, had served as defence minister for only six months but gained widespread recognition for accelerating Ukraine's military technological capabilities and pushing reforms aimed at tackling corruption in the defence sector.
According to Zelenskyy, deteriorating relations between Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi had made the minister's position untenable.
The president has nominated Maj. Gen. Yevhen Khmara, the acting head of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), to replace Fedorov. Parliament must approve the appointment, although legal and procedural hurdles could delay the process. Under Ukrainian law, the defence minister must be a civilian, meaning Khmara would first have to leave active service. Parliament is also in summer recess until mid-August.
Khmara has led the SBU since January and previously commanded its elite Alpha special forces unit. He is widely credited as one of the architects of Operation Spiderweb, a high-profile Ukrainian operation that targeted Russian air bases last year.
Meanwhile, Russian missile and drone attacks continued across Ukraine.
In the southern port city of Odesa, two civilians were killed and 10 others, including children, were injured in a missile strike, according to regional governor Oleh Kiper. One of those killed was a woman who had been walking in a park with her children, who survived the attack.
In the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, two more people were killed and five injured, Zelenskyy said. Russian shelling also wounded three people in the northeastern Kharkiv region, while officials reported additional casualties in five other regions.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian military and energy infrastructure in recent months, including oil facilities that have contributed to fuel shortages in parts of Russia.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 243 Ukrainian drones overnight.
In Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine's Kherson region, Moscow-installed official Vladimir Saldo claimed that Ukrainian drone attacks over the previous 24 hours killed three civilians and injured seven others. His claims could not be independently verified.