Will Mykhailo Fedorov remain Defence Minister: what is known so far

ThePublic reports on what is currently known about Fedorov’s prospects at the Ministry of Defence.

This morning, Olga Vasilevska-Smaglyuk, a Member of Parliament from the ‘Servant of the People’ party, wrote on her Telegram channel that, ‘according to the latest news’, the current Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, is being considered as Fedorov’s replacement. He, in turn, is to be replaced by Ivan Vygivskyi, who currently heads the National Police.

However, sources within various government bodies are currently unable to either confirm or deny the reports regarding Fedorov’s resignation.

What are the reasons behind the possible personnel changes?

There have previously been certain misunderstandings between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Fedorov. The media reported that relations between the minister and the president had cooled. Other sources, however, denied this.

It is worth noting, however, that whilst commenting on the recent high-profile events at the Territorial Defence Centre in Lviv, the president emphasised that the Ministry of Defence must fulfil all its promises regarding mobilisation reform.

Members of the ‘Servant of the People’ party noted that Fedorov’s possible dismissal would signal a victory of sorts for the general staff in their standoff with the minister.

At the same time, the reforms have already been launched, so the new head of the Ministry of Defence will not be able to abandon them, and this reshuffle will not affect the course of the war itself.

Cabinet reshuffle: what we know

As a reminder, on 12 July, Zelenskyy unexpectedly announced a “reset” of the Cabinet and the law enforcement system. No official candidate for the post of Prime Minister has yet been announced. According to media reports, the government is considering four candidates: Serhiy Koretskyi, head of Naftogaz.

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