Jul 16, 2026, 01:57Jul 16, 2026, 01:57
As part of the cabinet reshuffle, Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, is facing another change in the defense ministry. “It was a great honor to serve the Ukrainian people in the post of Defense Minister,” wrote incumbent Mykhailo Fedorov on Telegram. On X he posted photos in which he can also be seen with Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.
Fedorov has only been in office in an acting capacity since Tuesday. The resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, accepted by parliament, resulted in the dismissal of the entire Cabinet of Ministers.
Before publishing his post, Fedorov had a conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the constitution, the president has the right to nominate the head of the defense department. According to media reports, Zelenskyj wants to propose the previous Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko for the post. The previous head of the state energy company Naftogaz, Serhij Korezkyj, is being discussed as the new prime minister.
Conflict with army chief Syrskyj?
According to reports, the reason for the change in the department was a conflict between Fedorov and army chief Olexander Syrskyj. In addition, the minister was unable to solve the problems surrounding the forced mobilization of conscripts. Almost a week ago, around 200 people attacked a recruiting squad in Lviv, western Ukraine, destroying the company vehicle.
In 2019, Fedorov led Zelensky’s media campaign in his election campaign and then took over the newly created Digital Ministry. The only 35-year-old was long considered a favorite of Zelensky. Recently, however, he was also said to have his own political ambitions for the presidency.
Ukraine has been defending itself against a Russian invasion since February 2022. Since then, the defense minister has changed three times – most recently around six months ago. (sda/dpa)