President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sacked Mykhalo Fedorov as defence minister, a dramatic shakeup of his Cabinet that sent shockwaves through Ukrainian political and military circles and raised new questions about oversight of Ukraine’s stubborn defence against Russia’s all-out invasion.
Fedorov, a youngish, whiz-kid bureaucrat who has spearheaded digital transformation efforts across the government and embraced drone innovation as an important weapon in the war, confirmed he had been relieved of his post on July 15.
Fedorov’s short tenure as defence minister has coincided with Ukrainian forces battling Russian troops to a near stalemate.
Short-range tactical drones have helped Ukraine shore up its defences and prevent Russian troops from making significant advances. But Ukrainian commanders also continue to struggle with a lack of manpower and experienced units to counter Russian attempts at breaking through.
“It was a great honour to serve the Ukrainian people as the minister of defence,” he said in a social media post. Zelenskyy has not commented publicly on the move.
Fedorov noted several achievements during his time at the ministry, including blocking Russian troops’ access to Starlink satellites, which “dramatically reduced their ability to wage an effective drone war.”
He added that he would continue to work to “defeat the enemy with asymmetry, speed of innovation, and strength of organisation.” He gave no further details.
Ukrainian media had speculated that Fedorov could be dismissed, as he was in a “systemic conflict” with other Cabinet members involved in defence spending.
Dan Rice, president of American University Kyiv and a former special adviser to the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, told RFE/RL that Fedorov could be moved to another senior role, including potentially as prime minister or Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, although he stressed that “you just don’t know” what Zelenskyy intends.
“I think he’s done a wonderful job in a very short period of time,” Rice said of Fedorov.
“I think he has a chance to help Ukraine-US relations tremendously. But we will see what President Zelenskyy wants.
On July 12, Zelenskyy announced the start of the government reshuffle, stating that the changes were necessary to implement an updated political strategy.
He said the reshuffle also is intended to renew the Cabinet of Ministers and said responsibility for key areas of foreign policy would be assigned to officials with relevant experience.
Earlier on July 15, Zelenskyy endorsed Serhiy Koretskiy, the chief executive of Naftogaz, the country’s largest state-owned oil and gas company, as the next prime minister.
Naftogaz is a major source of government revenue and a politically powerful corporation.
One of the youngest ministers in Zelenskyy’s government, Fedorov, 34, was named Ukraine’s first minister of digital transformation in 2019, a position aimed at modernising the government’s clunky government services, many dating back to the Soviet era.
Equally important was providing transparency for long-opaque bureaucratic processes, helping to root out deep-seated corrupt practices.
The reforms — described as “a state in a smartphone” — were embraced by Ukrainians, and Fedorov’s popularity and success led to a cabinet promotion to deputy prime minister, with an expanded portfolio.
Fedorov was appointed to take over the defence ministry in January.
While his lack of a military background prompted some grumbling among Ukraine’s uniformed armed forces, his promotion ushered in a surge in drone warfare and production — an area of wartime innovation that Ukraine has excelled at.
Recently Ukraine has used drones to strike multiple targets deep inside Russian territory.
The strikes against Kremlin energy assets, including oil terminals and tankers at sea, are part of a campaign Kyiv has labelled as “long-range sanctions” against Russia.
The drone attacks on Russian energy sites have led to massive shortages throughout the country, with even Moscow — which is often immune to crises in the country — feeling the pressure, with long lines at gas stations leading to furious outbursts by drivers.
