Ukraine’s parliament on Wednesday appointed Mykhailo Fedorov as the country’s new defense minister, approving the move with 277 votes in the Verkhovna Rada.
Fedorov, formerly first vice prime minister and minister of digital transformation, immediately pledged to launch a full financial audit of the Defense Ministry, citing a Hr.300 billion ($7 billion) budget shortfall compared to last year.
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“My first task is a real audit of Defense Ministry finances, to understand how we must function this year under significantly reduced funding,” he told lawmakers.
He also promised sweeping reforms to troop training and recruitment, saying better preparation would reduce battlefield losses and improve combat effectiveness. Fedorov said long-standing problems linked to military enlistment offices would be addressed following a comprehensive review.
At 35, Fedorov is the youngest defense minister in Ukraine’s history. He first entered government at age 28, becoming one of the youngest ministers ever appointed after taking charge of the digital transformation portfolio.
A graduate of the Yale School of Management, he spearheaded the digital overhaul of Ukraine’s bureaucracy, moving most administrative services online and largely eliminating paper-based procedures and long queues – reforms that turned Ukraine into a global model for e-governance.
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Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Fedorov has also played a central role in drone procurement and battlefield technology initiatives.
He replaces former prime minister Denys Shmyhal, who served as defense minister for just six months. President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier said he wanted to “change the format” of the Defense Ministry, nominating Fedorov for the post.
Under Zelensky’s broader reshuffle plan, Shmyhal was expected to become first deputy prime minister while also taking charge of the Energy Ministry – a critical post as Ukraine struggles to shield its power grid from sustained Russian strikes.
However, parliament on Tuesday failed to approve Shmyhal’s appointment as energy minister, dealing a setback to the president’s sweeping government overhaul.
Despite expectations of an easy vote, Shmyhal fell far short of the required 226 votes, securing backing from just 10 lawmakers. Three opposition parties abstained, while around two dozen deputies from Zelensky’s own party did not vote.
Fedorov, considered one of Zelensky’s closest allies, had previously been seen as a leading contender to replace Andriy Yermak as head of the Presidential Office. That position was ultimately filled by Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, the HUR.
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