The appointment of Mykhailo Fedorov as Minister of Defense of Ukraine
The Verkhovna Rada appointed Mykhailo Fedorov as Minister of Defense of Ukraine on January 14. 277 people's deputies voted for this decision. Fedorov, who previously served as the first Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Digital Transformation, outlined his priorities in the new position, emphasizing the need for military reform and auditing territorial recruitment centers.
Experience of Mykhailo Fedorov
Mykhailo Fedorov has significant experience in public administration. In 2012, he received the status of 'student mayor' of Zaporizhzhia, and in 2014 he ran for the Verkhovna Rada from the '5.10' party, although he did not succeed. In 2019, he led the digital direction of Volodymyr Zelensky's presidential campaign, and in 2023 he became the Vice Prime Minister for Innovation. In 2025, Fedorov became the first Deputy Prime Minister in the government of Yulia Svyrydenko.
In addition, the new Minister of Defense noted that his team has been actively working to support the war since 2022, emphasizing that he approaches this position not only as a minister who built a digital state and created 'Diya', but as a person with experience in crisis situations.
- The budget deficit is about 300 billion UAH.
- Two million conscripts are on the wanted list.
- An additional 200 thousand are listed in special reporting forms.
These factors may significantly affect the performance of the tasks set by the new minister.
The appointment of Mykhailo Fedorov as Minister of Defense occurs in the context of serious challenges for Ukraine, particularly in the backdrop of the ongoing war. His experience in digital transformation and management in crisis situations may be beneficial for reforming the army and improving mobilization processes.
It is important how the new minister will cope with the existing financial problems and ensure the effectiveness of military task execution under difficult conditions.