Overview
- President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Mikhail Fedorov has left the defence ministry and presented Serhiy Koretsky to parliament as his candidate for prime minister.
- Zelensky appointed SBU chief Yevhen Khmara as acting defence minister, a step that cannot be made permanent immediately because Ukrainian law requires the defence minister to be a civilian.
- Public pressure rose with protests in Kyiv and regional cities and the resignation of Deputy Air Force Commander Pavlo Elizarov in direct response to Fedorov’s removal.
- Fedorov’s supporters credit him with speeding drone procurement and getting SpaceX to restrict Russian use of Starlink terminals, while Zelensky cited a ‘systemic conflict’ between Fedorov and Commander‑in‑Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi as the reason for the change.
- The personnel moves follow a broader government reshuffle and could affect mobilisation, defence procurement and EU cooperation on drone production as parliamentary confirmation of the new cabinet remains contested.