Zelenskyj (l.) and Mykhailo Fedorov (center). Image: www.imago-images.de
analysis
Volodymyr Zelensky loses his defense minister. But that is probably a calculation – and strengthens Commander-in-Chief Syrskyj’s position.
July 16, 2026, 01:58July 16, 2026, 01:58
Thomas Wanhoff / t-online
Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced his resignation on Wednesday evening. “It was a great honor to serve the Ukrainian people as defense minister,” Fedorov said on Telegram and He also had a conversation with Fedorov.
“The military has its own logic: We know better. But this is a very controversial claim,” said Vitaly Shabunin, chairman of the Anti-Corruption Center and a former soldier himself, to the “New Voice of Ukraine”. Fedorov tried to introduce objective criteria where none previously existed, and this met with resistance from the traditional generals. “If objective assessments are introduced, the allocation of resources could no longer be based on Syrskyj’s decisions, but on objective indicators,” said Shabunin.
Journalist: “Most scandalous decision” by Zelensky
“I fear that Mykhailo Fedorov may have been the last senior civilian leader willing to take on the Defense Ministry, carry out fundamental reforms and wage a relentless fight against inefficiency and corruption – at least for the foreseeable future,” wrote Ukrainian journalist and author Illia Ponomarenko on he continued writing.
Yes, this is undoubtedly a shock and a heavy blow to morale, at least among Ukraine’s active civil society — especially given that it comes as public sentiment has been buoyed by Ukraine’s major successes in the air and at sea.
Most likely, Fedorov’s dismissal is the most…
— Illia Ponomarenko (@IAPonomarenko) July 15, 2026
Former Ukrainian government adviser Anton Gerashchenko also praised Fedorov. «He was extremely effective and efficient, talented, system-oriented, found unconventional solutions and had an effective and productive team. In his very short term in office, Mykhailo has achieved so much for the defense of Ukraine and our victory,” he wrote on X.
Also Ukrainian MPs who are with the “Kyiv Independent” spokesmen – both from the ruling party and from the opposition – criticized Fedorov’s departure. “This is bad news,” a deputy from Zelensky’s party told the Kyiv Independent.
Fedorov and Syrsky: Apparently different opinions
But Fedorov also had opponents. As the New Voice of Ukraine reported in June, there had been problems between Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksander Syrskyj. Fedorov is said to have pushed for quick decisions on reforms, while Syrskyj did not want to rush anything, it is said. There is also said to have been a wrangling over competencies. While Defense Ministry employees told “New Voice” that the minister still decides who leads the troops, other voices came from the General Staff.
There the ministry is said to have been viewed more as a weapons procurement department that fulfills the wishes of the military. There are also said to have been different views about which weapons were needed. While Fedorov is considered an advocate of drones, Syrskyj is said to have called for more artillery shells. The Defense Ministry also tried to measure military successes using data, for example how many Russian military installations were destroyed.
Fedorov wanted data from the front lines to measure success
“The military has its own logic: We know better. But this is a very controversial claim,” said Vitaly Shabunin, chairman of the Anti-Corruption Center and a former soldier himself, to the “New Voice of Ukraine”. Fedorov tried to introduce objective criteria where none previously existed, and this met with resistance from the traditional generals. “If objective assessments are introduced, the allocation of resources could no longer be based on Syrskyj’s decisions, but on objective indicators,” said Shabunin.
Minister invested in modern drones
The resigned minister shared a long list of his achievements on X. He explained that it had been possible to prevent Russian forces from accessing Starlink. He also took over a defense ministry without its own budget and invested in modern weapons systems by reallocating personnel resources – including precision strike weapons, fiber-optic FPV drones, low-cost reconnaissance drones, unmanned ground vehicles, interceptor drones and long-range attack drones. In addition, his ministry disrupted the Russian supply lines with the “Logistical Lockdown” initiative and thus contributed to the isolation of Crimea.
While Syrskyj is considered loyal to Zelenskyj, Fedorov has recently been said to have ambitions for the presidency. His experience as head of the media campaign for Zelensky’s 2019 election should help him. Zelenskyj apparently sacrificed a possible political opponent in order to have peace on the front.