Ukrainian Defence Minister Fedorov resigns as part of government reshuffle

Kyiv – 16 July 2026: Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has announced his resignation. The move took place on Wednesday, 15 July, as part of the broad government reshuffle initiated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following the departure of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. In a public statement, Fedorov praised the work of his ministry, but did not provide any indication of a future post.

The resignation has a particular institutional dimension. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, accepted Svyrydenko’s resignation on 14 July with 258 votes. Under Ukrainian law, this simultaneously resulted in the dismissal of the entire cabinet. Fedorov’s statement is therefore part of a formally broader change of government, even though his replacement is attracting particular attention because of the central importance of the Defence Ministry.

Fedorov had only been appointed Defence Minister on 14 January 2026. Previously, the 35-year-old had shaped the digitalisation of state services as Minister of Digital Transformation. At the Defence Ministry, he represented an effort to more closely link technological innovations, drone systems and digital procedures with procurement and military planning. His brief tenure coincided with a phase in which Ukraine must reorganise its military capabilities under the pressure of Russia’s war of aggression.

Zelenskyy had already announced the personnel reshuffle on 12 July, speaking of a change in political strategy. In addition to the government, he also outlined changes in the leadership of law enforcement agencies. The president initially did not explain specific reasons for dismissing individual ministers. Nor had it been officially confirmed by Thursday morning who would succeed Fedorov at the Defence Ministry.

The reshuffle therefore affects not only the civilian leadership of the government, but also the relationship—decisive for conducting the war—between the presidential office, the armed forces and the arms administration. The Defence Ministry is responsible for procurement, international military support and essential parts of the organisational conditions for the army. A change at its head may therefore also have repercussions for coordination with Western partners and ongoing armament programmes.

Svyrydenko had held the post of prime minister since July 2025, having previously served as economy minister. Zelenskyy announced that he wanted to offer her a new important area of responsibility in relations with a key international partner. It remains open whether she will accept the offer and what the composition of the new government will be. The upcoming parliamentary decisions will show whether the reshuffle goes beyond a mere personnel change.