Ukraine appoints digital chief as defense minister to drive military reform

Ukraine’s parliament has appointed Mykhailo Fedorov, the former digital transformation minister, as the country’s new defense chief — part of a broader effort to reform and modernize the country’s armed forces.

Fedorov, 34, spearheaded efforts to digitize public services and as head of the digital ministry was a key player in the “Army of Drones” initiative, which procures and repairs drones for the military and provides training for operators.

A former deputy prime minister, he has been part of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s inner circle since his election in 2019 and is one of the few cabinet ministers to have survived every government reshuffle since then.

He is the fourth — and the youngest — defense minister appointed since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, succeeding Denys Shmyhal, who has moved into the roles of energy minister and first deputy prime minister.

Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Fedorov said his goal as the new defense chief is to “change the system.” He pledged to carry out military reforms, improve frontline infrastructure, and root out corruption.

Fedorov also underscored the importance of conducting cyber operations against Russia and its economy, as well as countering Moscow’s propaganda efforts both in Ukraine and inside Russia.

He laid out an ambitious vision for overhauling Ukraine’s military through technology, including the use of artificial intelligence to predict and disrupt enemy attacks and the launch of domestic production of laser-guided artillery munitions.

Speaking in January about his proposal to appoint Fedorov as defense chief, Zelensky said the digital minister had proven highly effective at digitizing public services and processes and was closely involved in the “drone line” initiative — an effort to expand the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and create a continuous strike zone along the front line.

Fedorov also spearheaded Diia, a state mobile application for government services that is now used by about 23 million Ukrainians. Under his leadership, the ministry introduced education reforms and rolled out several major defense-technology projects, including Brave1, a platform that brings together companies and investors to develop new tools and services for the military.

Fedorov’s deputy, Oleksandr Borniakov, will temporarily assume the duties of minister of digital transformation following his resignation.