Zelensky Nominates 34-Year-Old Deputy Prime Minister as New Defense Minister, Replacing Incumbent After Six Months

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has nominated First Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as the new candidate for Minister of Defense, according to Reuters and other sources on January 2 (local time). This replacement comes about six months after the appointment of the current Defense Minister, Denys Shmyhal, in July of last year.

Deputy Prime Minister Fedorov, who is 34 years old, has relatively little political experience and is not widely known among the Ukrainian public. He is currently also serving as Minister of Digital Transformation and is credited with introducing drone technology to the Ukrainian military.

In a nighttime video address, President Zelensky stated, "Deputy Prime Minister Fedorov is currently leading the 'drone line' initiative and has achieved outstanding results in the digitalization of national services and administrative procedures."

The appointment of the new Minister of Defense requires parliamentary approval. President Zelensky also mentioned that he has offered the current Defense Minister, Shmyhal, a new government position.