MOSCOW, July 20. /TASS/. Protests over the dismissal of Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov, which began in the capital, Kiev, have spread to at least 12 cities, according to TASS calculations.

Along with Kiev, rallies were held on Monday evening in Odessa and Nikolayev in the north of the country, in Sumy and Chernigov in its northern part, in Ivano-Frankovsk, Lutsk, Lvov, and Ternopol in the west, as well as in Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, and Kiev-controlled Zaporozhye.

Fyodorov was dismissed on July 14 amid a conflict with Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Alexander Syrsky, after calling for his replacement. In addition, Fyodorov failed to fulfill his promise to reform territorial recruitment centers during his six months as defense chief.

Protests against Fydorov’s dismissal began in Ukrainian cities on July 16. Gradually, the protesters began demanding not only that Fyodorov be reinstated, but also that Syrsky be dismissed.