Zelensky ousts Ukraine's defense minister in surprise move
The Hill · C · trust 32/100
Comments: by Ashleigh Fields - 07/16/26 11:51 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Ashleigh Fields - 07/16/26 11:51 AM ET Comments: Link copied NOW PLAYING Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky chose to oust Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov after six months, sparking an outcry from the public and protests in Kyiv.
Fedorov previously served as Ukraine’s minister of Digital Transformation and brought an expansive background in military technology to the defense role.
In a post on Telegram, Fedorov reflected on his time spent leading the embattled nation in its defense strategy and navigating repeated strikes on the country’s civilian infrastructure.
“A new structure has been launched, many staff members have been dismissed, and numerous processes have been initiated,” Fedorov wrote in the message , which was translated by The Hill.
“My thanks go to everyone defending Ukraine and working towards victory,” he added.
Fedorov touted Ukraine’s ability to cut off Russia’s access to Starlink and investments in midstrike capabilities, fiber-optic FPVs, low-cost reconnaissance drones, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and interceptor and deep-strike drones.
He said his efforts ensured Ukraine’s ability to procure “more drones in four months than in the entire previous year” after inheriting a Ministry of Defence with no budget.
Fedorov also led the initiative to divert funds earmarked for year-end personnel allowances toward resources for the war.
Moments before Fedorov was fired, Ukraine signed two agreements with European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, which granted Ukrainian defense companies access to research and development grants under the European Defence Fund (EDF) to scale up production capacities.
He noted on Thursday that his efforts are not yet complete.
“I don’t need to be minister of Defense just to be minister of Defense,” he said during remarks in Kyiv, according to NPR .
“I need this position so we can win this war,” he added.
Zelensky has already nominated his replacement, acting Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, to serve as minister of Defense.
Reports say Fedorov was ousted for clashing with seasoned military generals as he attempted to enact change within Ukraine’s defense structure.
In his short tenure, Fedorov helped Ukraine gain the upper hand on the battlefield amid its conflict with the Kremlin and began to reinstate a sense of national valor seemingly lost over the more than four-year war with Russia.
“Friends, it’s no longer possible to tolerate what’s happening with our government. The Minister of Defense is being removed from office during effective (finally!) reforms, replaced by a person under whom any reforms can be forgotten,” Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran, wrote in a post on social platform X , urging his counterparts to protest the move.
“We will never defeat Russia as long as the same total mothballing and corruption reign in our army and our ministries,” Koziatynskyi added.
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