Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced Wednesday that he was stepping down, following the resignation of the Prime Minister, as part of a government reshuffle desired by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"It was a great honor to serve the Ukrainian people as Minister of Defense," he wrote on Telegram in a long message, listing the successes of his ministry, which he had headed since January.
He notably cited the development of drone production and use, as well as the launch of a major army reform, including its contracts, which was "unpopular but extremely necessary."
This announcement comes after the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday endorsed the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, desired by the Ukrainian president, who announced a government reshuffle on Sunday to accompany a change in "political strategy."
Appointed at age 35, Mr. Fedorov was the youngest Defense Minister Ukraine has ever known. He took the helm of the ministry with the task of injecting new energy into Kyiv's war machine after four years of Russian invasion.
He was one of the early advocates of the increasing use of drones, which have become indispensable on the front.
"We acquired more drones in four months than in the entire previous year," he said in his statement.
He was also the one who contacted billionaire Elon Musk to obtain a Starlink satellite connection for Ukrainian troops, now a crucial element of their military organization, and to cut off Russian troops' access to this technology.
Sergiy Sternenko, an advisor to the ministry, announced in the aftermath that he was also stepping down in a message on Telegram. He praised the outgoing minister and the work accomplished, lamenting "bureaucratic obstacles and deliberate hindrances."
According to Ukrainian media, Mr. Fedorov could be replaced by the current Interior Minister, Igor Klymenko.
