President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday that Mykhailo Fedorov was no longer Ukraine’s defence minister after a six‑month tenure. The decision came after a public dispute with commander‑in‑chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and chief of the general staff Andrii Hnatov, both of whom retained their posts.

Protests and internal dissent

Demonstrations broke out in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa and Dnipro the morning after the announcement, with thousands of Ukrainians expressing concern that the removal could jeopardise the country’s drone operations. The rallies were likened to the anti‑corruption protests of the previous summer.

On the same day Colonel Pavlo Yelizarov, the deputy commander of the air force appointed by Fedorov, resigned in protest and refused to return to reserve service. He warned that the dismissal represented a severe blow to Ukraine’s defence capability and could increase civilian casualties from Russian missile attacks.

Fedorov’s record in office

During his brief period as minister, Fedorov expanded Ukraine’s unmanned aerial vehicle fleet into a coordinated drone force and accelerated procurement of mid‑range strike drones. He oversaw drone attacks that struck Russian oil refineries and logistics hubs supplying Crimea, and contributed to efforts that disabled Russian use of Starlink satellite terminals.

He introduced fixed‑term contracts for defence suppliers, raised infantry wages and advocated stricter vetting of contractors, claiming to have saved more than one hundred million dollars on an artillery contract. Financial Times sources reported that he blocked attempts to steer contracts to favoured firms and promoted competitive tenders and polygraph tests for contractors.

In a public interview Fedorov accused Syrskyi of basing decisions on loyalty rather than data and of dividing the country.

European engagement and final initiatives

In his final weeks Fedorov signed agreements that opened European Union programmes, funding and joint‑production schemes for Ukrainian firms. The day before his dismissal he met representatives of the European Commission and the European Defence Agency in Kyiv to announce six European companies selected under the BraveTech EU initiative, representing Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Germany, Finland and France.

New minister and outlook

Zelensky appointed Yevhen Khmara, acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine, as the new defence minister. Khmara previously oversaw the Alpha centre, which coordinated many deep‑strike drone operations. He inherits a procurement system built around competitive tenders and tighter oversight, but is expected to face pressure from established interests that previously opposed procurement reforms.

Analysts note that Russia is assembling a drone force of up to one hundred thousand personnel, some receiving training in China, and is copying Ukrainian tactics. They warn that any slowdown in procurement could allow Russia to narrow the capability gap.

European countries have provided billions of euros in military aid, and many EU firms view Ukraine as a testing ground for new weapons. Observers will monitor whether Khmara continues the tendering procedures that reportedly saved hundreds of millions of euros and whether the air‑defence rebuilding effort can retain its specialist officers.