KYIV, July 16, 2026. On the day Mykhailo Fedorov stood before reporters and accused Ukraine’s commander-in-chief of blocking his reforms and dividing the country, the story of the nation’s defence leadership since 2022 gained another chapter. It is a chapter with few precedents.
Fedorov, the popular defence minister, had been dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelensky. Protesters took to the streets of Kyiv. Within days the president removed General Oleksandr Syrskyi as well.
A ministry that kept changing hands
Against this backdrop, the military side of the leadership has been steadier than the civilian one. Since the full-scale invasion began, there was one change at the top: Syrskyi was appointed in February 2024, replacing Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who had been in charge since July 2021.
The ministry itself was another story. Oleksii Reznikov, minister since 2021, left in 2023 after a string of corruption scandals. The BBC noted at the time that his departure was no major surprise, given efforts to improve Ukraine’s corruption rating while it defended itself against a full-scale Russian invasion. Reznikov himself was not charged with corruption, though his ministry as a whole faced allegations, including over procurement of goods and equipment for the army at inflated prices. He had told reporters the previous week that he was “exploring other positions.”
Rustem Umerov took over. After two years he moved to become secretary of the National Security and Defence Council in a full cabinet reshuffle. His successor, former prime minister Denys Shmyhal, lasted almost exactly six months before another reshuffle, linked to the fallout from the corruption scandals of summer 2025, sent him to the energy ministry. Fedorov replaced him.
The Fedorov months
Fedorov had served as Ukraine’s minister for digital transformation from 2019 and championed drone warfare. As defence minister since January, he pressed procurement reform. In June he said competitive tendering had saved more than US$100 million (£74 million) by cutting the cost of 155mm artillery shells. According to the analysis in The Conversation, that is one probable source of his conflict with Syrskyi, who decides which weapons and equipment are procured. Ukraine, meanwhile, made progress in stalling Russia’s momentum, helped by an intensified campaign of strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.
What makes this dismissal different, the same analysis argued, is that it is the first reshuffle driven by internal disagreement within Zelensky’s core team. It is also the first time he has had to replace the top civilian and military leaders at once.
What came next
On July 21, 2026, Zelensky announced that Mykhailo Drapatyi, who heads the United Forces of Ukraine, would become commander-in-chief. He also proposed that Fedorov take a prominent government position. Zelensky’s first choice for defence minister, Ihor Klymenko, apparently declined and is to become secretary of the National Security and Defence Council. Major General Yevhenii Khmara, acting head of the SBU intelligence service, was named acting defence minister.
Under Ukrainian law, Khmara must first leave active military service before taking the civilian post. The president must then nominate him and parliament approve. Polling cited in the analysis put opposition to Fedorov’s removal at some 60% of the Ukrainian public.
Sources
- Ukraine's defence shake-up exposes rift in Zelensky's inner circle – The Conversation
- Oleksii Reznikov dismissed from Ukrainian defense minister post – ERR News (citing the BBC)
- Zelensky dismisses Kyiv military chief Syrskyi after protests, appoints Drapatyi and offers Fedorov a senior government role – Mezha (citing CNN)
