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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Dismisses Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov
Zelenskyy removed the 35-year-old minister six months after his January appointment. Fedorov had clashed with military chief Oleksandr Syrski over strategy and procurement reforms. Yevhen Khmara was named interim successor.
Jul 18, 10:26 AM·1m read1 source
The GuardianAudio version
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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Mykhailo Fedorov as Ukraine's defence minister. The Guardian reported the move came after Fedorov, 35, had served six months in the post he assumed in January. Fedorov previously led the digital transformation ministry and was credited with persuading Elon Musk to disable unauthorised Russian Starlink terminals on the battlefield earlier in 2026.
He also introduced competitive tendering for military procurement and a performance-based rewards system for units. Fedorov had requested the removal of military chief of staff Oleksandr Syrski, 60, a graduate of the Moscow higher combined arms command school and former artillery officer.
At a press conference after his dismissal, Fedorov said Syrski blocked his initiatives and refused face-to-face discussion of problems.
"Instead of finding a way of defeating Russia asymmetrically – which is the commander-in-chief’s job – he’s found a way of splitting our country," Fedorov stated. Zelenskyy addressed the change at a joint press conference Thursday with outgoing British prime minister Keir Starmer. He said he sought unity rather than choosing between sides.
Demonstrations against the dismissal continued for a second day in Kyiv. Yevhen Khmara, former head of the state security service’s Alpha unit involved in drone operations, was appointed interim defence minister. Zelenskyy indicated Khmara should continue several of Fedorov’s reform programmes.
