Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) - Ukraine’s ousted defence minister directed stunning public criticism at the army’s top commander on Thursday, forcing President Volodymyr Zelensky to call for unity amid signs of an emerging split in the military’s top ranks.

Large protests erupted in several Ukrainian cities against the removal of popular defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who had been brought in six months ago to digitise and modernise an army fatigued after four years fighting off the Russian invasion.

Following Fedorov’s removal, Zelensky announced Thursday he had appointed Yevgeniy Khmara – head of Ukraine’s SBU security service – as acting defence minister.

“Khmara has gained extensive and, in many respects, unprecedented experience with technological combat operations,” Zelensky said in a Facebook post.

In the capital Kyiv, AFP reporters saw hundreds protesting in support of Fedorov, singing Ukraine’s national anthem and carrying placards.

“We saw results from his tenure, when strikes were effectively carried out against targets in Russia,” said Viktoriia Osypenko, 24.

Margarita Levchenko, 25, said she wanted the “people to be listened to.”

“That is exactly why all the people, like me, are here,” she said.

The spiralling leadership row risks throwing uncertainty on the war effort at a time when Ukraine was in one of its best positions for months.

Kyiv’s troops have largely halted the pace of Russia’s advance while pounding Russian oil and military sites with long-range drones, triggering a nationwide fuel crisis inside its neighbour.

After being forced to resign, Fedorov on Thursday accused Ukraine’s commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky of dividing the country.

“Instead of figuring out how to defeat Russia asymmetrically – which is the commander-in-chief’s task – he figured out how to split the country,” Fedorov told reporters, including AFP.

He criticised slow bureaucracy and a lack of flexibility, questioning whether Ukraine could defeat Russia with Syrsky in charge of the army.

He also alleged Syrsky had engineered his removal through an ultimatum issued to Zelensky after months of clashes.

Zelensky himself issued a plea for “unity” and said the two sides – the defence ministry and the army command – were barely on speaking terms.

“A president in wartime should not have to choose in such a situation, honestly,” he said, speaking alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Kyiv.

“I would very much like unity.”

- ‘New rules’ -

A soldier serving in Ukraine’s army told AFP the political chaos in Kyiv could hit the war effort.

“For some, replacing a minister is merely a political reshuffle. For us, it can determine whether a needed drone arrives on time, whether essential equipment is purchased,” they said, asking to speak anonymously to criticise the decision.

In a public statement, Syrsky tried to stem the criticism, defending his results and calling to “focus on the war”.

But one of his most senior commanders – a rumoured possible successor – came to Fedorov’s defence and called for the pace of reform to continue.

Joint Forces Commander Mykhailo Drapaty said the army “needs change” and “new rules” as he thanked Fedorov for “not being afraid to tackle issues”.

Analysts said Zelensky had backed his trusted army chief over an outsider defence minister at a key moment of the war.

Fedorov’s backers cast the removal as retribution for trying to shake up the system and weeding out graft.

“He fell out with various generals and with different drone suppliers. In other words, he really did start implementing many useful reforms that threatened certain vested interests,” said political analyst Anatoliy Oktysiuk.

He added that Zelensky had “undermined himself politically” by moving against Fedorov.

The deputy commander of Ukraine’s air force, Pavlo Yelizarov, resigned in protest.

And some lawmakers were trying to thwart his removal, refusing to hold a vote on a replacement for Fedorov.

- ‘Slap in the face’ -

“I believe that his dismissal is a slap in the face of the Ukrainian people,” Vlada Roman, a 30-year-old business owner, told AFP at a protest in Kyiv.

She said she hoped Zelensky would go back on the decision, criticising the Ukrainian leader as being “afraid of effective people”.

Under Fedorov, Ukraine significantly increased soldiers’ salaries and outlined plans to allow for phased demobilisation, providing relief for soldiers fighting at the front.

Local media reported protests in several other cities, including Lviv, Odesa and Dnipro.

Protests are relatively rare in wartime Ukraine, which has seen society rally behind the military and, mostly, Zelensky.

As the war has dragged on, however, major corruption allegations against Zelensky’s inner circle and scandals in the military, particularly over recruitment and the treatment of conscripts, have triggered episodes of public outcry.