Why Zelenskyy Sacking Mykhailo Fedorov Is A Dangerous Gamble For Ukraine

On the surface, Ukraine’s latest political shakeup looks like a standard wartime political realignment. On July 16, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada voted overwhelmingly—289 votes in favor—to confirm Serhiy Koretskyi, the former boss of state energy giant Naftogaz, as the country’s new prime minister. He steps into a role vacated by Yulia Svyrydenko, who is reportedly headed to Washington as Ukraine’s next ambassador.

But beneath the parliamentary handshakes lies a deeper, far more volatile crisis.

For the first time in years, major protests have flared up in Kyiv and across a dozen other Ukrainian cities. The catalyst isn't Koretskyi's promotion, but the collateral damage of his arrival: the abrupt, deeply unpopular ousting of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

By pushing out the 35-year-old tech-reformer-turned-defense-chief, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has triggered a wave of public anger and military resignations that could test his political authority at a critical moment in the war.

Why Fedorov's Exit Sparked Instant Outrage

Wartime governments reshuffle all the time, but the timing of this decision is raising serious eyebrows. Ukraine has recently begun slowly turning the tide in its defensive efforts, heavily relying on asymmetric drone warfare and streamlined military tech—both areas that Fedorov pioneered.

Before his brief six-month stint heading the defense ministry, Fedorov ran the Ministry of Digital Transformation, where he essentially modernized Ukraine’s defense landscape from the ground up. He was the guy who secured Starlink in the war's earliest days, bypassed sluggish bureaucracy to scale up domestic drone manufacturing, and pushed through procurement reforms that targeted systemic military corruption.

The public response was immediate:

• Street protests: Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Ivan Franko Square in Kyiv and outside the presidential office, holding signs reading "The Russians are celebrating" and "Hands off Fedorov".
• Regional backlash: Protests weren’t isolated to the capital; rallies erupted in Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, Vinnytsia, and several other hubs.
• Military dissent: High-ranking military figures are walking out. Colonel Pavlo Yelizarov, deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, publicly resigned in protest, calling Fedorov's removal "a great evil" for the country's defense capabilities.

To many Ukrainians, removing the man responsible for the country's technological edge looks less like "government renewal" and more like a political purge of a highly popular, independent leader.

Enter Serhiy Koretskyi: The Energy Technocrat

With the defense sector in turmoil, Koretskyi has the unenviable task of project-managing Ukraine's domestic survival. Zelenskyy’s logic in picking him is clear: the energy grid. After years of relentless Russian strikes, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is fragile, and another brutal winter is on the horizon.

Koretskyi has a reputation as an effective, hard-nosed administrator. During his time leading Ukrnafta and Naftogaz, he managed to clean up corruption, turning a notoriously bloated, loss-making state apparatus into a profitable entity.

In his address to parliament, Koretskyi pitched his cabinet as a triple-threat: a government of defense, economic development, and European integration. But when grilled by lawmakers about the decision to replace Fedorov with Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, Koretskyi quickly deferred, noting that defense nominations are solely the president’s prerogative. He did, however, go out of his way to praise Klymenko as an exceptionally professional and effective administrator.

The Real Friction Behind the Curtain

While Zelenskyy has publicly framed the reshuffle as a necessary step to "renew" state institutions and strengthen international diplomatic ties, the reality is likely much more complicated.

Whispers from Kyiv suggest deep-seated friction between Fedorov’s reformist, Silicon Valley-style approach and the traditional military hierarchy. Fedorov wanted to move fast and break things—specifically old-school procurement networks. He wasn't afraid to address uncomfortable truths, such as the massive numbers of draft-dodgers and military desertions.

Zelenskyy’s recent comments about needing "closer cooperation" between the defense ministry and military brass seem to confirm that Fedorov’s aggressive style had rubbed top generals the wrong way.

By siding with the military establishment over the popular reformer, Zelenskyy might have bought peace with his generals, but he has severely damaged his standing with a civilian population weary of political games.

What Happens Next?

The political dust will eventually settle, but the challenges facing this new government are immediate and unforgiving.

If you're watching Ukraine’s political stability, keep your eyes on these critical developments over the coming weeks:

• The Integration of Klymenko: Watch how quickly Ihor Klymenko can transition from policing domestic security to running a massive, high-tech war effort. Any slowdown in drone procurement or domestic missile testing—such as the newly developed ballistic missile Fedorov announced just as he left—could invite heavy public criticism.
• The Energy Grid Prep: Koretskyi’s primary metric of success for his first hundred days won't be on the battlefield, but on the power grid. He has to secure the energy network before the sub-zero temperatures hit, or public anger over the political shakeup will boil over.
• Military Morale: If more officers follow Air Force Deputy Commander Yelizarov out the door, Zelenskyy may have to backtrack or offer major concessions to keep his frontline command unified.