From Lviv to Kharkiv, Ukrainians were back in the streets on Friday for a second straight day, demanding the return of their ousted defense minister

Residents of several Ukrainian cities took to the streets again to protest the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister, the Ukrainian news outlet Ukrainska Pravda and Ukraine’s public broadcaster Suspilne reported. Correspondents from both outlets said demonstrations took place in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, Ternopil, Poltava, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and elsewhere.

In Kyiv, as on the previous day, crowds gathered at Franko Square near the President’s Office building. Demonstrators chanted “Bring back Fedorov!” “Down with Syrskyi!” “Glory to Ukraine!” and “Death to our enemies!” while singing the Ukrainian national anthem.

At least 10,000 people took part in the Kyiv demonstration, according to estimates by Interfax-Ukraine. The outlet’s correspondent reported that protesters filled the square — including the park and roadway — as well as sections of the adjacent Olhinska, Hrushevskoho, and Stupky streets.

On July 16, following Fedorov’s dismissal, protests in support of the former minister began across Ukraine. In Kyiv, demonstrators chanted “Bring back Fedorov!” “Shame!” and “Syrskyi must resign!” Colonel Pavlo Yelizarov also submitted his resignation as deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, directly linking his decision to Fedorov’s dismissal, which he called “a great evil for the country’s defense potential.”