Zelenskyy Offers Mykhailo Fedorov Post of Deputy Prime Minister for Military Innovation

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Military Innovation to streamline defense technology integration across the armed forces, Suspilne reported on July 23.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Kyiv alongside visiting Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, Zelenskyy confirmed that Fedorov remains part of his broader team following recent leadership shifts. The Ukrainian president noted that he presented several government options to the former defense chief before offering him the specialized vice-premiership focused on military technology and battlefield innovation.

“Mykhailo is in the team. I offered him several positions, without going into the details of all our meetings: the latest position is Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for Military Innovation, and this is very important, because there must be coordination of innovations with the leadership of the Ministry of Defense, with the leadership, with the Commander-in-Chief of our army, with the President,” Zelenskyy stated, as reported by Suspilne.

He emphasized that such cross-institutional alignment “can be done, and must be done every day.”

Read more

Category

Life in Ukraine

Who Is Mykhailo Drapatyi? Ukraine’s New Commander-in-Chief

Jul 21, 2026 23:23

The proposal follows earlier remarks by Zelenskyy, who previously noted that he had offered Fedorov “a decent position in government that would allow uniting the technological component of our state.” At the time, the head of state had not specified the exact title or confirmed whether Fedorov had agreed to take the role. According to Suspilne, the creation of the dedicated position aims to ensure that technological adaptations on the frontline remain directly linked to military planning and state executive decisions.

The proposed appointment comes in the wake of a major executive shakeup and public outcry following Fedorov’s initial removal as Defense Minister, a high-level reshuffle that sparked days of public demonstrations. Zelenskyy later appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to succeed General Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Help Ukrainian Units Hold the Drone Line

Download APP