Zelenskyy dismisses Mykhailo Fedorov as Ukraine’s defence minister

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Mykhailo Fedorov as defence minister as part of his latest government reshuffle, Fedorov confirmed on Wednesday.

Since the news broke on Sunday about the cabinet revamp, it was Fedorov’s position at the defence ministry which caused most speculation and criticism of Zelenskyy for considering his dismissal.

Fedorov was the first to confirm the dismissal, posting on social media, “It was a great honour to serve the Ukrainian people as Defence Minister.”

Fedorov then listed what he considers his team’s main achievements and failures during his six-month tenure.

Fedorov included the shutdown of Starlink systems for Russian forces, the campaign against Russian logistics in occupied Crimea, and “an unpopular but extremely important” military reform initiative.

“Thank you to each and every one of you who is defending Ukraine and working for victory,” Fedorov wrote.

“Thank you to my entire team for their effective service 24/7,” he said.

“I will continue to work toward the mission I came to the Defence Ministry with — to defeat the enemy through asymmetry, the speed of innovation, and the strength of our organisation.”

Fedorov is expected to be replaced by Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

General Klymenko led the National Police from 2019 until 2023 and was appointed interior minister following the death of his predecessor, Denys Monastyrsky.

Ukrainian parliament should support his nomination.

In the meantime, calls appeared on social media for a peaceful demonstration in Kyiv on Thursday morning to “show the president that we are against constant reshuffles in the government and replacing effective ministers with convenient opportunists.”

Why did Zelenskyy dismiss Fedorov?

On Wednesday Zelenskyy held a meeting with Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi to discuss key challenges facing Ukraine’s military, including mobilisation.

The issue of recruitment was the crucial argument in the Ukrainian president’s decision, according to reports.

Earlier on Wednesday Zelenskyy declined to comment on whether he was going to dismiss Fedorov amid the cabinet reshuffle, saying only that he wants Ukraine’s military to be “united” and “on the same page.”

“The priority is dialogue between the army and the Defence Ministry, solving the problems of (recruitment), and closing the sky,” he said.

Friction arose between Fedorov and Syrskyi over Fedorov’s proposals for military reform, specifically regarding how the Defence Ministry operates.

The dispute between the defence minister and the commander-in-chief has been described as a generational clash between a young, innovative manager with a startup background and a more traditional military general.

Speaking of “failures” of his tenure, Fedorov said he did not manage to complete the organisational transformation of the Ministry of Defence in line with NATO standards and “common sense”.

“The new structure has been put in place, many people have been made redundant,” he said, adding that “numerous processes have been set in motion,” Fedorov said.

“However, it was necessary to be even more decisive in dismissing those who were holding back the changes.”

Why Fedorov’s dismissal doesn’t sit right with Ukrainians

From 2019 to January 2026, Fedorov served as Ukraine’s deputy prime minister and minister of digital transformation.

He has been praised for implementing Ukraine’s strategy of a “state within a smartphone” as part of efforts to minimise bureaucracy. Since the launch of the Diia app in 2020, a range of government services has been available on people’s smartphones.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, his ministry has been significantly involved in drone development and production, and education reforms.

He also played a key role in launching a project linking the Digital Transformation Ministry with the Defence Ministry to advance military technology.

More recently, he launched Ukraine’s campaign of “turning Crimea into an island”, a highly effective operation targeting Russian logistics and military sites in Moscow-annexed Crimea and temporarily occupied regions in southern Ukraine.

Fedorov is highly respected in Ukrainian civil society.

The news about his dismissal triggered an avalanche of criticism towards Zelenskyy and outrage in society.

According to the reports in Ukrainian media outlets, Zelenskyy confirmed the clash between Fedorov and Syrskyi at a meeting of his faction of the Servant of the People party.

He reportedly told those present that “ideally both should be dismissed” but admitted he could not do so at this time.