President Vladimir Zelensky plans to nominate Interior Minister Igor Klimenko for the post of head of the Ministry of Defense instead of Mikhail Fedorov. People's deputies reported this after the meeting of the head of state with the Servant of the People faction..
Fedorov himself confirmed in the evening that he was leaving the post of Minister of Defense. In his farewell post, he listed the results of his team’s work and admitted that he did not have time to complete the transformation of the Ministry of Defense, transfer all purchases to tenders and create a culture of responsibility for decisions made.
The president's decision caused a wave of criticism among the military, volunteers, entrepreneurs, journalists and politicians. Most of them called Fedorov's departure a mistake and expressed fears that the reforms he had begun could stop..
Military volunteer, veteran and expert in the field of unmanned technologies Maria Berlinskaya called Fedorov’s appointment one of Zelensky’s wisest personnel decisions, and his dismissal one of the president’s biggest mistakes.
“What Fedorov and his team did to ensure an advantage in the technological war was certainly talented, and sometimes even, without exaggeration, brilliant.”.
According to Berlinskaya, in a critical situation at the front, only asymmetrical, technological and non-standard solutions can save Ukraine.
“This decision of the president will not cost us much.”. And it's insanely expensive. The price is the life and health of hundreds of thousands of people. Hundreds of thousands, if not more. I really want to make a mistake... The president’s fatal mistake.”.
Advisor to the Minister of Defense, volunteer Sergei Sternenko said that after Fedorov’s departure he no longer works as an advisor to the head of the Ministry of Defense. According to him, this limits the ability to influence the situation with drones in the army..
Sternenko said that the team was preparing new tender requirements for the purchase of FPV drones. They were supposed to help the army obtain better means and develop infrastructure for striking in depth.
At the same time, some of the changes, according to him, were blocked by bureaucratic obstacles and people who are hampered by army reform.
“It’s a shame that today our state has become much further from victory. Mikhail Fedorov is the best defense minister in our entire history. Thank you for your example of leadership and service."
Radio technology expert Sergei "
“I had wide access to various systems and could analyze the actions of our enemy. Predict his next steps. I can't do it anymore"
According to Beskrestnov, some of the projects he worked on remained unfinished.
“The enemy in his groups is happy that I am no longer in the Ministry of Defense. The mood is terrible. But I will not give up my path and will continue to defend the country and help my military brothers.”.
The head of the 4th recruiting center of the Territorial Defense Forces, Sergei Marchenko, called Fedorov an effective minister.
“From the side of the army, it seems that there is more order, accounting has improved, and corruption flows have decreased.”.
Marchenko suggested that rebooting the entire government could be a way to eliminate Fedorov in particular, since there might not be enough votes for his dismissal in the Verkhovna Rada separately.
“I am not familiar with Fedorov and am not a fan of his. But I am convinced that there is no need to break what works... We have not won the war yet. Don't do anything stupid! There's too much at stake."
Military instructor and volunteer Roman Donik expressed an opinion that differs from the majority opinion. He recognized Fedorov’s management abilities, his contribution to the development of drones and digital systems, but urged not to exaggerate the results of the minister’s work.
“There is no tragedy in Fedorov’s possible resignation. His unique management talent and quick thinking should be used where he is most effective."
According to Donik, Fedorov did not have sufficient military experience to solve the entire range of army problems. He believes that he could be more effective as deputy prime minister responsible for drones, missiles, digitalization and defense technologies.
At the same time, Donik criticized the fact that during Fedorov’s work it was not possible to completely solve the problems with payments to the military, training and new contracts.
Veteran Dmitry Kozyatinsky called on Ukrainians to take part in peaceful protests against the personnel decision. The action in Kyiv was announced on Ivan Franko Square.
“The Minister of Defense is being removed from office during effective - finally! - reforms, replacing him with a person under whom any reforms can be forgotten"
Kozyatinsky is confident that Ukraine will not be able to defeat Russia as long as “total mothballs and corruption” reign in the army and ministries.
The mayor of Genichesk and a military man with the call sign “Osman” Stanislav Bunyatov warned against protests. In his opinion, Russia can use such actions to spread theses about the beginning of a new “Maidan” and destabilize Ukraine.
“It’s a bullshit idea, the authorities already see our moods. There is no sense in the gathering, just to play along with the Russians with a show-off about the beginning of the “Maidan”"
At the same time, Bunyatov emphasized that the authorities should not ignore public sentiment.
“The people need to be heard, otherwise only the Russians will benefit from this”.
He also expressed hope that Fedorov will continue to work in the field of defense technologies and will be able to restore order in one of the areas of the defense industry.
Co-founder of Fractal Group Artem Borodatyuk called Fedorov's removal a decision beneficial for Russia.
He mentioned the creation of Dii, the development of the Drone Army, procurement reform, the shutdown of Starlink for the Russian military and the focus of Fedorov’s team on measurable results.
“Mikhail Fedorov is no longer Minister of Defense. I have no example of a better solution for the enemy than this."
Borodatiuk ironically noted that systemic reforms, the fight against corruption and the willingness to be responsible for one’s own decisions allegedly became the reason for the minister’s removal.
Monobank co-founder Oleg Gorokhovsky called Fedorov an honest, decent and effective manager.
“Mikhail Fedorov is the best minister in the entire history of Ukraine. Maximum honest, decent and efficient. Thank you, Misha, for everything you have done for the country.!
According to Gorokhovsky, Fedorov has gained a significant amount of trust and respect from society.
Investment banker, deputy director for securities trading at Dragon Capital Sergei Fursa reacted to the decision with a sarcastic post.
“Fedorov allowed himself too much. Too smart. People started to like me. I could have realized this in time.”.
Fursa ironically suggested that the minister would have to appear in scandals with real estate, tenders or generals in order to retain his position.
" Now he will have to pay for his sins. And we are together"
People's Deputy from "
“Well, well, let’s look at these unbridled reforms,” the deputy wrote, calling the decision against Fedorov unfair.
“Very unfair and stupid towards Mikhail. This team knows how to trample and throw mud at the best. Which is no longer a secret"
Editor-in-Chief of Ukrainskaya Pravda Sevgil Musaeva compared Zelensky’s personnel decisions with the casting for the new season of the series Servant of the People.
“Everything looks as if the script was being rewritten right during filming, and the logic of government administration is head and shoulders above the laws of television dramaturgy.”.
She called Fedorov one of the most effective members of the government in recent years and the face of one of the few successful stories of state modernization during the war..
“The only problem is that this is not a pavilion, not a film set, and not Netflix. This is a country that, under extremely difficult conditions, is waging a war for its own existence.”.
According to Musaeva, personnel decisions in a warring country must be based on strategy, institutional logic and responsibility, because their consequences cannot be “cancelled in the next series.”.
The Verkhovna Rada must finally consider and support the candidacy of the new Minister of Defense. President Zelensky officially presented the candidacy of Sergei Koretsky for the post of Prime Minister to the Verkhovna Rada. Voting is expected to take place on Thursday, July 16.
Fedorov’s resignation as part of the election of a new Cabinet of Ministers is not another personnel rotation. This is the result of his systemic conflict with the military leadership and the Presidential Administration’s concerns about the emergence of an overly independent player, writes ZN’s internal politics editor. UA Inna Vedernikova in the article “The First Government of Arakhamia? Why is Bankovaya reconfiguring the levers of power?.