Mykhailo Fedorov has commented for the first time on the end of his tenure as Defence Minister, thanking the Ukrainian people for their trust. Among his achievements, he cited blocking Starlink access for Russians, the procurement of drones, the programme to isolate Crimea, the strengthening of air defences and the development of defence technologies. His statement came after the resignation of the entire government.
Briefly about the main points
- Fedorov thanked the Ukrainian people for their trust in him as Minister of Defence.
- He described the work with Starlink as one of the achievements of his time at the Ministry of Defence.
- Among his priorities, Fedorov mentioned drones, air defence and defence technologies.
- The resignation of the government means that ministers will continue to carry out their duties until a new government is formed.
- According to UP, Fedorova may not be nominated for a post in the new government.
What results did Fyodorov cite?
In its statement Fedorov He said that it had been a «great honour» for him to serve the Ukrainian people as Minister of Defence. He stated that he would continue to work towards the mission of defeating the enemy «through asymmetry, the speed of innovation and the strength of organisation».
Fedorov included blocking Russians’ access to the following in his list of achievements: Starlink, record-breaking drone purchases, the launch of the programme to isolate Crimea, the strengthening of air defence and the development of Ukrainian defence technologies.
Some of these points had already been included in the Ministry of Defence’s official report covering the first three months of its operations. At the time, the Ministry reported, in particular, on the procurement of drones and robotic platforms, the development of «small-scale» air defence systems, and contracts for various types of systems. The assessment of «record» volumes is the Ministry’s own position.
The reshuffle is taking place alongside the resignation of the Cabinet of Ministers
Fedorov headed the Ministry of Defence for around six months: the Verkhovna Rada appointed him on 14 January 2026 with 277 votes. On 14 July, parliament accepted the Prime Minister’s resignation Yulia Sviridenko, which means the resignation of the entire Cabinet of Ministers.
Until a new government is formed, ministers will continue to carry out their duties. Therefore, the end of Fedorov’s term of office in the current Cabinet is not the same as a separate decision to dismiss him from his post as Minister of Defence.
Who might be appointed as the new minister?
On the evening of 15 July, *Ukrainska Pravda*, citing participants, meetings of the «Servant of the People» parliamentary group» reported that the president does not plan to nominate Fedorov for the post of defence minister in the new government. According to the publication, the acting minister of the interior is set to be nominated for this post Igor Klymenko.
The same sources linked the possible decision not to reappoint him to Fedorov’s ongoing conflict with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi and military circles. This version of events was not officially announced. Fyodorov had previously acknowledged differences with Syrskyi, but spoke of joint meetings regarding the transformation of the Defence Forces.
What will happen to the Ministry of Defence’s technology projects?
During Fedorov’s tenure, the ministry focused on unmanned systems, air defence, procurement and technological solutions. In June, he also spoke about a drone campaign targeting logistics occupied Crimea.
A change in leadership could affect the pace of project implementation, some of which the Ministry of Defence has described as still in the start-up phase or due to yield results at a later date. At the same time, the ministry’s future priorities will depend on the composition of the new government and the decision regarding the new minister.
