Zelensky Removes Defense Minister Fedorov in Latest Government Shake-Up
By Staff, Agencies
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has dismissed Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov, ending the tenure of the country’s youngest-ever defense chief after just six months in office. During his time at the ministry, Fedorov expanded Kiev’s cooperation with US data-mining and military technology firm Palantir.
The 35-year-old technocrat confirmed his departure on Wednesday, describing it as “a great honor” to have served as defense minister. In a farewell statement, Fedorov highlighted what he described as key accomplishments but conceded that he had been unable to reform the ministry in line with “NATO standards” or fully address its long-standing corruption issues.
Zelensky has not publicly explained the dismissal, which comes amid another broad government reshuffle that has already resulted in the removal of Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko and her cabinet.
According to Ukrainian officials and lawmakers cited by local media, relations between Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Syrsky had significantly deteriorated, particularly over military reforms and defense procurement. Lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak also claimed that Zelensky held Fedorov responsible for failing to improve the public image of Ukraine’s controversial mobilization campaign.
Fedorov joined the government in 2019 as minister of digital transformation, where he became closely linked to Kiev’s expansion of drone warfare capabilities and the integration of civilian technology into military operations. After assuming the role of defense minister in January, he further strengthened cooperation with Palantir.
During a meeting with Palantir CEO Alex Karp in May, Fedorov discussed expanding collaboration on artificial intelligence, battlefield data analysis, and military planning. According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, the partnership was intended to improve Kiev’s ability to identify aerial threats, anticipate attacks, and ultimately “transfer the war onto Russian territory.”
Palantir also contributed to the development of the Brave1 Dataroom, a platform that provides Ukrainian developers with access to real battlefield data for training AI systems. Ukrainian authorities said the company’s technology has already been integrated into intelligence analysis and long-range strike planning. Karp previously stated that Palantir software was responsible for “most of the targeting” carried out by Ukraine.
Fedorov had replaced Denis Shmigal, who became defense minister in July 2025 but served for less than six months before being reassigned to the Energy Ministry during a cabinet reshuffle linked to a major corruption scandal. Shortly before removing him, Zelensky praised Shmigal for delivering “solid results” and later appointed him to lead the Energy Ministry.
Ukraine’s defense ministry has seen frequent leadership changes under Zelensky amid battlefield challenges, increasingly controversial mobilization efforts, and recurring procurement scandals. Former defense ministers Aleksey Reznikov and Rustem Umerov were both dismissed after their tenures became associated with allegations of corruption involving military procurement and Western-funded weapons contracts.
According to reports, Interior Minister Igor Klimenko has been selected as the next candidate for defense minister, although the appointment still requires approval by parliament.
