Volodymyr Zelensky also replaces the defense minister. Who is Mihailo Fedorov, the successor of Denis Shmihal
Volodymyr Zelensky, Photo: Presidential Office of Ukraine / DPA / Profimedia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Friday that he plans to replace current Defense Minister Denis Shmyhal and appoint 34-year-old Mihailo Fedorov, currently First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, to the post.
“I have decided to change the structure of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. I have proposed to Mihailo Fedorov the position of the new Minister of Defense of Ukraine,” President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in his daily message on social media.
Denis Shmyhal (49) has been serving as defense minister since July 2025, having previously led the government in Kyiv for five years, making him Ukraine's longest-serving prime minister.
Today, we have begun a substantial overhaul – internal changes to make Ukraine more resilient.
Last year, there were good results from state institutions that needed to be scaled up, as well as problems that should not carry over into the new year. Therefore, a wave of personnel… pic.twitter.com/wcqTagybnP
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Volodymyr Zelenskyy (@ZelenskyyUa) January 2, 2026
At the same time, the head of state stated that Denis Şmihal is to take another position within the government, without providing additional details regarding his new position, reports Agerpres.
According to Zelensky, the change aims to streamline defense management in a context where Ukraine faces major security challenges and needs closer coordination between technology, defense and state administration.
Earlier, the President of Ukraine appointed the director of the General Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense (GUR), Kirilo Budanov, as the head of the Presidential Chancellery. The leadership of the military intelligence service was taken over by Oleg Ivashchenko, who was the head of the foreign intelligence service.
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Who is Mihailo Fedorov?
Mihailo Fedorov was born in 1991, in Vasîlivka, Zaporozhye region. From 2009–2014, Fedorov studied at the Zaporizhia National University (Faculty of Sociology and Management), according to his CV.
Between 2015 and 2019, Fedorov was the founder and CEO of SMM Studio, a digital marketing agency in Ukraine.
On May 3, 2019, Mihailo Fedorov became an external advisor to the President of Ukraine in the digital field. Also in 2019, he was elected deputy in the Supreme Rada of Ukraine. From August 2019, he was appointed deputy prime minister and, at the same time, minister of digital transformation of Ukraine.
From March 2023 he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Education, Science and Technological Development, as well as Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.
Since July 2025, he has served as First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation.
