Zelenskyy removes Ukraine defense minister in wider wartime reshuffle

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has removed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, adding to a broad wartime shake-up that CNBC reported is the fourth major reshuffle of Kyiv’s government since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. Fedorov had held the defense portfolio for six months, and his dismissal has prompted calls for a protest in Kyiv as Ukraine continues to rely heavily on drone operations against Russian targets.

Fedorov confirmed his departure on Wednesday in a social media post, saying it had been a “great honor to serve the Ukrainian people.” He pointed to what he described as achievements by his team, including cutting off Starlink systems for Russian forces, isolating occupied Crimea and carrying out what he called an “unpopular but extremely important transformation of the army.”

The removal follows another senior change in Kyiv. Ukraine’s parliament earlier this week accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko after one year in the role, according to CNBC. Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, said on Facebook on Wednesday that Zelenskyy had nominated Serhiy Koretsky, chief executive of state-owned energy company Naftogaz, to be the next prime minister.

Zelenskyy has described preparations for winter and efforts to secure a ceasefire as immediate priorities for the government, according to CNBC. On Sunday, he said on X that “Ukraine is changing its political strategy” and that each priority area in foreign policy would be assigned to a person with relevant experience who could implement decisions agreed at the leadership level.

Protest call follows minister’s removal

The defense minister’s ouster drew criticism from Dmytro Koziatynskyi, a war veteran who CNBC identified as a leading organizer of nationwide protests last summer. Koziatynskyi wrote on X on Wednesday, according to a translation cited by CNBC, that “it’s no longer possible to tolerate what’s happening with our government.”

He urged people to assemble at Franko Square in Kyiv at 9:01 a.m. on Thursday to show opposition to what he described as repeated government reshuffles and the replacement of effective ministers with more politically convenient figures.

The discontent comes as Ukraine has expanded its use of drones after building production and capability over four years of war. CNBC reported that Kyiv has intensified strikes on Russian energy infrastructure and military assets, including high-profile oil refineries, as part of an effort to increase the economic costs of the war for Russia and weaken Russian forces in southern Ukraine.

Drone operations have become a central tool for Ukraine because they allow strikes beyond front-line positions without relying only on crewed aircraft or artillery. The battlefield effect depends on production scale, targeting intelligence and the ability to penetrate air defenses. Defense experts and strategists cited by CNBC have described Ukraine’s drone campaign as pivotal in slowing Russian military momentum, while warning that deep strikes into Russia have increased the risk of escalation.

Fedorov had been viewed as a prominent supporter of Ukraine’s drone warfare effort, according to CNBC. His exit therefore places a sensitive part of Kyiv’s military strategy inside a wider political reorganization at a time when the government is trying to sustain external support, maintain domestic cohesion and manage the demands of a prolonged war.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.