Thousands of Ukrainians are protesting for a second day against the sudden removal of popular defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who clashed with military chief of staff Oleksandr Syrskyi. President Zelenskyy defended his decision, citing a need for unity despite the minister's innovation with drone technology. This move has exposed presidential leadership flaws and concerned European officials. Separately, Zelenskyy is repairing ties with Poland over naming a Ukrainian army unit after a group that killed Poles, pledging investigations and opening intelligence files. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone attack on a logistics center in western Russia killed seven and wounded 24, while over 370 drones were launched towards Moscow, mostly neutralized. Russian authorities cracked down on dissent, detaining a blogger critical of Putin and the war, and fining an anti-war politician. Russia continued its Black Sea attacks, hitting two Ukrainian port cities, including Mykolaiv and Odesa, killing three people and damaging civilian vessels. These strikes have led to a partial halt in grain shipments and an almost complete suspension of grain purchases at port terminals.