Ukraine has removed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in a sweeping government reshuffle, setting off public protests and bringing a bitter dispute inside the country’s wartime leadership into the open.
Fedorov, a 35-year-old technology specialist credited with expanding drone warfare and cutting military bureaucracy, was left out of the new government approved by parliament Thursday. The defense and foreign minister posts were not included in the vote, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was still considering candidates for the defense portfolio.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has been discussed as a possible replacement. However, claims circulating on X that he has already been appointed are premature. Zelenskyy said Klymenko was one of several candidates, and parliament is not scheduled to meet again until Aug. 18.
The shake-up has become controversial because of Fedorov’s popularity among younger Ukrainians, technology workers and parts of the military. More than 1,000 people protested near the presidential office in Kyiv, while demonstrations were also reported in Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and Odesa. Some protesters demanded Fedorov’s return and called for the dismissal of armed forces commander Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The dispute centers on Fedorov’s attempts to change how Ukraine’s military buys weapons, distributes drones and manages battlefield data.
Speaking after his removal, Fedorov accused Syrskyi of blocking Defense Ministry initiatives and refusing to address disagreements directly. He said decisions about support for military units were sometimes based on personal loyalty rather than battlefield data. Those allegations have not been independently proven.
Syrskyi responded by urging officials to focus on the war and pointing to his role in defending Kyiv during the opening weeks of Russia’s 2022 invasion. He did not directly answer each of Fedorov’s allegations.
Zelenskyy acknowledged that relations between the Defense Ministry and the military command had broken down. He said the two sides failed to find unity and that the dispute could not continue during wartime. The president did not accuse Fedorov of corruption or poor performance.
Fedorov said Zelenskyy offered him an advisory position, but he declined. He also said he had urged the president to replace senior military commanders, including Syrskyi, before learning that he would instead leave the government.
Fedorov highlights record on X
In a farewell statement on X, Fedorov said it had been an honor to serve as defense minister and listed what he described as his team’s main achievements.
He claimed the ministry had blocked Russian forces from using unauthorized Starlink terminals and shifted money toward interceptor drones, fiber-optic drones, robotic ground vehicles and long-range strike systems. The post presented the figures as ministry results, but it did not include independent documentation for every claim.
Posts from Ukrainian outlets and journalists on X showed crowds gathering in several cities and described the demonstrations as among Ukraine’s largest wartime protests against a government decision. Reuters and The Associated Press separately confirmed demonstrations in Kyiv and other cities.
Social media users also circulated claims that Fedorov was removed because Zelenskyy viewed him as a future political rival. No public evidence has established that motive. Zelenskyy has tied the decision to the conflict between Fedorov and the military command.
The fallout has spread beyond the Cabinet. Pavlo Yelizarov, a deputy air force commander involved in Ukraine’s drone operations, said he was stepping down in response to the decision and called Fedorov’s removal damaging to the country’s defense.
Fedorov took control of the Defense Ministry in January and promised a data-driven overhaul of an institution long troubled by corruption, procurement failures and disputes over mobilization. Supporters credit him with speeding drone purchases and modernizing military systems, while critics say he did not deliver a promised plan to make conscription fairer.
The dispute leaves Ukraine without an approved permanent defense minister as Russian forces continue attacks in the east and intensify missile strikes. It also presents Zelenskyy with a new domestic political test at a sensitive point in the war.
