Dismissed defense minister Fedorov rejects offered position and demands his old one back

On July 22, Volodymyr Zelensky outlined priorities for Ukraine’s new military leadership: Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi and acting Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara were tasked with reforming mobilization and strengthening air defense — goals that, by Zelensky’s own admission, had also been set for their predecessors but were never accomplished.

Drapatyi, who replaced the dismissed Oleksandr Syrsky, said he had been tasked with stepping up counteroffensive operations and launching new operations on Russian territory. At his first meeting with Khmara, the two sides discussed front-line support, long-range strike capabilities, and military technology.

The personnel changes are taking place during one of the most turbulent periods in Ukrainian military policy. Zelensky dismissed Syrsky several days after removing the popular Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, as part of a sweeping government reshuffle. According to France 24, the reshuffle was announced on July 14, when parliament also confirmed Naftogaz chief Serhiy Koretsky as the new prime minister.

Fedorov’s dismissal sparked rare wartime protests across Ukraine, with demonstrators in Kyiv and other cities demanding his reinstatement.

At a press conference with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin on July 22, Zelensky confirmed that he had offered Fedorov the post of deputy prime minister for military innovations.

“I offered him several positions, the latest of which is Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for Military Innovations,” Zelensky said.

However, Fedorov publicly rejected the offer. According to the Kyiv Independent, on July 23 he explained his position:

“There are only three positions in the country that truly determine the course of the war: the President of Ukraine, the Minister of Defense, and the Commander-in-Chief,” Fedorov said.

At the same press conference, Zelensky confirmed that he had offered former Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko the post of ambassador to the United States. Svyrydenko led negotiations on the US-Ukraine minerals deal and in April 2025 signed a reconstruction investment agreement with Washington. It was initially reported that she had declined the offer; as of July 22, her final decision remained unknown.

The Ukrainian parliament extended martial law and general mobilization until October 31, 2026.