The Verkhovna Rada appointed Fedorov as defense minister: he promised to solve the TCC problem

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has appointed Mykhailo Fedorov—formerly head of the Ministry of Digital Transformation—as Ukraine’s minister of defense.

A total of 277 MPs voted in favor.

Opposition parties also supported the appointment—European Solidarity and Holos. At the same time, Batkivshchyna, whose leader Yulia Tymoshenko received a notice of suspicion today, cast only two votes. As a reminder, in a NABU wiretap that was made public, Tymoshenko urged MPs not to vote for Fedorov.

Speaking in parliament ahead of the vote, Fedorov said there are problems with the TCC (Territorial Recruitment Centers) and promised to address them.

“We need to quickly, once and for all, change the system for training Ukrainian servicemen. High-quality training means fewer losses and greater effectiveness. The TCC problem cannot be ignored. After a comprehensive audit, we will propose a systemic solution to resolve problems that have accumulated over years while preserving the country’s defense capability,” Fedorov said from the Rada rostrum.

Fedorov also said that 2 million Ukrainian men are being sought through the TCC system due to issues with their military registration documents, and that another 200,000 have already gone absent without leave.

He added that the Defense Ministry’s budget is 300 billion hryvnias in the red.

Earlier, Ukraine’s new head of the Presidential Office, Kyrylo Budanov, said that decisions were being prepared to combat corruption in the TCC system.