How will Zelenskyy handle the growing political crisis at home?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported on July 20 that Ukraine had struck Russian oil facilities in the Moscow region after what it described as a major Russian ballistic missile attack the previous night. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy framed the Ukrainian action as a response, while the outlet said Russia’s recent missile use against Ukraine had intensified, with reported July launches exceeding Russia’s monthly production level.

The report linked the military escalation to a growing domestic political problem for Zelenskyy. According to Al Jazeera, his dismissal of the defence minister has triggered protests and raised questions about divisions within Ukraine’s leadership at a critical point in the war. The programme asked whether the episode reveals a deeper rift at senior levels and how Moscow could seek to benefit from any instability in Kyiv.

The segment was presented by James Bays and featured Olesia Horiainova of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, Glenn Diesen, a professor of international relations at the University of South-Eastern Norway, and Bob Seely, a foreign affairs and security analyst who is also a stakeholder in the defence technology company Trypillian.

The issue matters because Ukraine’s military response to Russian strikes is unfolding alongside public pressure over defence leadership. Based on Al Jazeera’s account, Zelenskyy is managing both an external escalation with Russia and internal scrutiny over wartime governance, a combination that could affect political cohesion and perceptions of Ukraine’s ability to sustain its defence effort.