Zelenskyy Ousts Defense Minister Fedorov in Major Cabinet Reshuffle Amid Corruption Probe

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Wednesday after a meeting with military leadership, six months into his tenure 12. Fedorov confirmed the move on social media, calling it "a great honor to serve the Ukrainian people as Defense Minister" and listing over 20 accomplishments including cutting Russian forces off Starlink, the Crimea logistics campaign, and contested military service reforms 134. Lawmakers told the Kyiv Independent that Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has been offered the post, with parliament expected to vote on his nomination Thursday 12. The dismissal follows Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko's resignation two days earlier, which triggered a wider cabinet reshuffle, and comes a day after the exit of Ukroboronprom chief Herman Smetanin 34. Multiple lawmakers and analysts cited friction between Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi over Fedorov's proposed overhaul of the Defense Ministry as a factor in the decision 124.