Zelensky Plans Defence Ministry Shake-Up, Offers Top Post to Digital Minister

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday announced plans to replace the country’s defence minister and said he had offered the post to 34-year-old Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, marking a major shake-up in Kyiv’s security leadership.

In his daily address broadcast on social media, Zelensky said he had decided to change the structure of the defence ministry. “I have offered Mykhailo Fedorov the position of new Ukrainian defence minister,” he said, highlighting the young minister’s growing role in modernising Ukraine’s military capabilities.

Fedorov, who has served as minister of digital transformation since 2019, is considered a political newcomer and is relatively little-known to the wider Ukrainian public. Zelensky, however, praised his work, saying Fedorov is “deeply involved in issues related to drones” and has been highly effective in the digitalisation of state services and government processes.

The president did not explain why he was replacing the current defence minister, Denys Shmygal, who was appointed to the role just six months ago in July 2025. Zelensky said he had предложed Shmygal “head another area of government work that is no less important for our stability.”

In a parallel move, Zelensky also named Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as the new head of the presidential office. Budanov replaces Andriy Yermak, one of the most influential figures in Ukrainian politics in recent years, whose position weakened after a corruption scandal involving some of Zelensky’s former allies.

The changes signal a significant reshaping of Ukraine’s leadership as the country continues to rely heavily on technological innovation and security reforms amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.