Ukraine erupts with anger at Zelenskyy, threatening wartime unity

The move to curb anti-corruption agencies risked "endangering the values of freedom, democracy in our country and the future of our children," one Ukrainian told NBC News.

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian fury was fixed Wednesday on its own government.

As Russian drones peppered their homes, their loved ones fought in trenches and their negotiators waded through more pessimistic diplomacy, Ukrainians waged a new battle on the streets of Kyiv and other major cities.

Activists called for further protests Wednesday over a law signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that curbs the country's top two anti-corruption agencies. The move already fueled the first major demonstrations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, and drew alarm from European officials and experts.

“Destroy Russians, not democracy,” one of the hastily drawn cardboard signs in Kyiv read, while crowds yelled “Shame!” and “Veto the law!”

Natalia, 48, a therapist who like many in this febrile atmosphere doesn't want to use her last name, said trying to restrict anti-corruption agencies risked "endangering the values of freedom, democracy in our country and the future of our children."

She sees the protests as a way to support the army on the front lines. "I am coming out to give them a signal that we are here," she said, "so that we are not stolen and betrayed."

The sudden crisis could offer the Kremlin a powerful propaganda tool and threaten not just Ukraine’s unity, but also its support from the West at a crucial moment in the war.