LOOKING BACK AT MYKHAILO FEDOROV’S LEGACY AS UKRAINE’S DEFENSE MINISTER
Mykhailo Fedorov has announced that he is stepping down as Ukraine’s Minister of Defense after serving in the role since January 2026.
During his tenure, Ukraine’s defense industry underwent one of the fastest periods of modernization in its history. Among the key achievements credited to Fedorov and his team are:
▪️ Cut off Russian military access to Starlink terminals.
▪️ Dramatically expanded Ukraine’s drone warfare capabilities, from FPV drones to long-range strike systems.
▪️ Secured major investments in long-range precision strike programs and next-generation weapons.
▪️ Launched the “Logistics Lockdown” campaign, aimed at systematically disrupting Russian supply lines through deep strikes on bridges, railways, ports, fuel depots, and logistics hubs.
▪️ Reformed Ukraine’s military procurement system to speed up the delivery of equipment to frontline units..
▪️ Began a broader transformation of Ukraine’s Armed Forces toward a more modern, technology-driven military.
▪️ Opened defense exports through the Drone Deal, allowing Ukraine’s rapidly growing drone industry to expand internationally.
▪️ Oversaw rapid growth in domestic weapons production, helping scale drone manufacturing into the millions annually while expanding missile and electronic warfare development.
▪️ Strengthened cooperation with European partners, securing funding and industrial partnerships for Ukraine’s defense sector.
Before becoming Defense Minister, Fedorov served as Ukraine’s Minister of Digital Transformation, where he helped create some of the country’s most successful digital initiatives, including Diia, Mriia, and Diia.Sign, transforming government services for millions of Ukrainians.
Fedorov acknowledged that not every goal was achieved. He said his team was unable to fully transition the Ministry of Defense to NATO organizational standards, complete procurement reforms through fully open tenders, or establish what he described as a stronger “culture of accountability” within the ministry.
Regardless of the reasons behind his departure, we want to thank Mykhailo Fedorov for his service to Ukraine. His leadership helped push Ukraine to the forefront of military innovation, proving that technology, adaptation, and domestic production can change the course of a modern war. The drones, weapons, and reforms accelerated under his leadership will continue to shape Ukraine’s defense long after his tenure has ended. We wish him the very best in whatever comes next.