Who is Mykhailo Fedorov? The minister behind Ukraine's drone-first military strategy

The sacking of Ukraine's popular Defence Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, just six months after his appointment triggered rare wartime protests across several cities on Thursday, following a major cabinet reshuffle by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Sharing a list of his team's achievements during his tenure, Fedorov confirmed his departure on the social media platform X and said: “I will continue to work toward the mission I originally brought to the Ministry of Defence: defeating the enemy through asymmetry, the speed of innovation, and the power of organisation.”

Why was he ousted?

Zelensky hasn't publicly given a reason for Fedorov’s anticipated exit and hasn't named a successor yet. Reportedly, Fedorov had a strained relationship with Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of Ukraine’s armed forces.

Fedorov had accused commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky of trying to divide the war-torn country, detailing a feud between the pair that led to his removal and triggered protests supporting him.

According to AFP, Fedorov told reporters in Kyiv: “Instead of figuring out how to defeat Russia asymmetrically -- which is the commander-in-chief's task -- he figured out how to split the country we're all living in today.”

What to know about his tenure

At the age of 28, Fedorov was appointed to Zelensky's first cabinet as minister for digital transformation, a new post that allowed him to push through technology-driven reforms. He was promoted to the post of defence minister ​in January 2026.

He had become the youthful face of his country’s successful drone warfare program and is often dubbed the 'champion of drones'. He is also storied for setting up the 'Army of Drones' crowdfunding initiative to get drones to the front line, bypassing traditional channels. Reportedly, his tech-first approach put him at odds with senior military officials, who argued infantry remained indispensable. Further, defence contractors were upset by a programme he introduced that allowed soldiers to buy weapons directly through a website dubbed the "Amazon of weapons."

What to know about his equation with Elon Musk

Following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Fedorov urged Elon Musk to activate SpaceX's Starlink service in Ukraine. Since then, tens of thousands of Starlink terminals have been deployed by Ukraine's military, often referred to as the lifeblood of its battlefield communications. Fedorov is also reportedly credited with working with Starlink to block Russia's unauthorised access to the service.

Why does his departure matter?

Fedorov had been one of Ukraine's strongest pillars for drones and robotics warfare. His removal has raised questions about whether the country will continue to prioritise innovation in its fight against much larger Russian military.

With inputs from agencies