Zelenskyy dismisses Ukraine’s popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov
The move triggered rare wartime protests and a parliamentary vote as officials cited clashes over reforms, recruitment and military leadership.
- On July 15, 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as part of a government reshuffle. Parliament is expected to vote on Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as his replacement on July 16.
- Lawmakers and analysts attribute the dismissal to deep-seated conflicts between Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi regarding military reform priorities. Observers described the tension as a generational clash between an innovative manager and a traditional military general.
- During his six-month tenure, Fedorov advanced drone production to roughly 200,000 units monthly and secured Starlink access for Ukrainian forces. He also launched a "logistics lockdown" campaign and procurement reforms that saved the state budget billions of dollars.
- Hundreds of citizens gathered at Franko Square on Thursday as veteran activist Dmytro Koziatynskyi organized protests against the dismissal. Demonstrators opposed the government's frequent cabinet reshuffles amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
- Critics warn the leadership transition could destabilize the defence ministry while Ukraine faces critical manpower shortages and ongoing Russian pressure. Maintaining institutional progress remains essential as the government attempts to stabilize leadership during this critical wartime phase.
143 Articles
143 Articles
Volodymyr Zelensky ended Mykhailo Fedorov's duties on Wednesday 15 July. According to our partner "The Kyiv Independent", the young minister pays his opposition to the army chief of staff, Oleksandr Syrsky. The decision provokes a large wave of protests.
The brain drain of the country’s latest military successes sparks general outrage
Georgia Public Broadcasting
nprZelenskyy fires Ukraine's tech-savvy defense minister in government reshuffle
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fired the country's popular defense minister, who pushed for innovation in the battlefield through the use of drones and turned the tables on Russia.
Dismissal of Ukraine’s defence chief sparks political crisis
Rare protests erupted in Ukraine on Thursday over the dismissal of defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov as a dispute between the reformer and Kyiv’s top general spilled into the open during the president’s second overhaul of his wartime cabinet in a year. Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s reshuffle has fuelled public anger over his exclusion of Fedorov, a 35-year-old […]
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