Ukraine's Defense Minister Leading 'Drone Warfare' Dismissed Amid Protests

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who led the military's shift toward a drone-centric strategy, despite public backlash.
According to reports from Reuters and other media outlets on July 16 (local time), President Zelenskyy appointed Yevhen Khmara, acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), as the acting defense minister and requested parliamentary approval for the appointment.
This move formalizes the dismissal of Minister Fedorov, who had previously expressed his intention to resign.
The 35-year-old Fedorov is credited as a key figure in enabling Ukraine to pressure Russia using long-range drones.
Since his appointment in January of this year, he has been credited with significantly improving drone capabilities, including the development of domestic drones to replace Chinese-made combat drones.
As news spread that Fedorov became a target for the cabinet reshuffle due to conflicts with military establishment figures, such as Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, during the military reform process, public opposition has intensified, leading to a series of protests.
President Zelenskyy's decision to effectively postpone the appointment of a permanent successor by opting for an acting minister system is interpreted as a move to address the backlash against the replacement of the defense minister.
Serhiy Koretskyi, CEO of the state-owned energy company Naftogaz, has been appointed as the new Prime Minister.
Taras Vysotskyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, was appointed as Minister of Agriculture, while Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko remains in his position.
Vsevolod Chentsov has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs was not included in this cabinet reshuffle list.
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.