Ukrainian Students Keep Demonstrating Amid Intensified Russian Missile Strikes

Student-led rallies have spread throughout Ukraine’s urban centres, demanding that President Volodymyr Zelensky bring back Mykhailo Fedorov, the young defence minister known for modernising the armed forces with drones and robotic units. The protests have not been deterred by a recent intensification of Russian missile strikes targeting Ukrainian territory. Peter Dickinson, a senior scholar at the Atlantic Council, argues that the demonstrations threaten Vladimir Putin, who perceives a democratic Ukraine as a model that could spark dissent within Russia.

He notes that Zelensky has offered Fedorov an alternative governmental role, but protesters remain unsatisfied. Dickinson also contextualises the unrest by recalling Putin’s historical aversion to popular uprisings dating back to his KGB days in East Germany. The analyst warns that the conflict’s continuation may further entrench Russia’s war-focused regime and limit prospects for a negotiated settlement.