Skip to main content

Mykhailo Fedorov appointed as Ukraine’s new Minister of Defence

Mykhailo Fedorov, newly appointed Minister of Defence of Ukraine, addresses the Verkhovna Rada.
Mykhailo Fedorov, newly appointed Minister of Defence of Ukraine

Following a submission by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a decision appointing Mykhailo Fedorov as Minister of Defence of Ukraine.

The appointment received the support of 277 Members of Parliament of Ukraine.

22

In his address to the Verkhovna Rada, the newly appointed Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov, reviewed key defense achievements and set out future priorities.

Among the key achievements in the defense sector since the onset of the full-scale invasion, he cited the following:

  • The provision of 50,000 Starlink terminals to Ukraine by international partners;
  • The launch of the “Army of Drones” initiative;
  • The formation of strike unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) companies;
  • Deregulation and the opening of markets for manufacturers of drones, electronic warfare (EW) systems, ground robotic systems, missiles, and other defense products;
  • The establishment of Brave1: the cluster now includes over 2,350 companies and more than 4,900 solutions, with over 730 grants totaling more than UAH 2.6 billion awarded to companies;
  • The launch of the e-Points incentive system;
  • The launch of the “Drone Line” initiative;

In his new role, Mykhailo Fedorov outlined several key priorities:

  • Military reform;
  • Enhancement of frontline infrastructure;
  • Elimination of corruption risks;
  • Fostering leadership and trust as a new institutional culture.

“The President has set a clear objective: to build a system capable of countering the enemy in the air, halting advances on the ground, and intensifying asymmetric and cyber strikes against the enemy and its economy—to make the cost of war for russia unsustainable,” the new Minister of Defence emphasized.

Furthermore, Mykhailo Fedorov identified key areas of focus, including the training of Ukrainian service members, improving their financial and social support, deepening cooperation with international partners, and developing the defense industry.

He underscored that anti-corruption efforts would become a foundational principle of the new Ministry of Defence.

“One of the first decisions as Minister of Defence will be to ensure brigades have a baseline provision of drones, which are currently in short supply,” Mykhailo Fedorov concluded.

Tags