Removing Fedorov does not strengthen Ukraine’s defence

This is not the first time that the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has chosen to reshuffle his government – moving, strengthening and, if necessary, splitting ministries – to give them greater powers. The latest reshuffle, announced at the end of last week, took MPs, ministers and even the Ukrainian public by surprise, particularly due to the news – confirmed by some sources to the Ukrainian media, although not yet officially announced – of Mykhailo Fedorov’s removal from the Ministry of Defence. There have been many rumours circulating in Ukrainian political circles – that Fedorov did not get on with the Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi; that the mobilisation reform had created tensions within the military – but Fedorov remains a revolutionary who, in his six months at the Ministry of Defence, has strengthened the sector, made it more efficient, and chosen to make the war too costly for the Russians in terms of human lives.

Fedorov has also removed one of the advantages the Russians had exploited by using Starlink without the necessary licences: all it took was to speak directly to Elon Musk, tell him that Moscow was not paying for the service, and within a short time the unauthorised terminals that were helping drones to strike cities or trains in motion had been deactivated. Fedorov may now be replaced by Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, and it is unclear whether he will be moved to another post within the government. According to the Kyiv Independent, Zelenskyy is said to have made the decision after consulting with Syrskyi. Zelenskyy told journalists that dialogue is needed between the Armed Forces and the ministry; they need to be "on the same wavelength". The Ukrainian president has been faced with a dilemma that is difficult to resolve for a country at war: harmony or efficiency? Whilst it is true that Fedorov’s decisions were unpopular amongst the military, it is undeniable that the minister was revolutionising the defence sector, delivering results within just a few months. No choice is simple in Ukraine; the stakes are a matter of survival.