Mykhailo Fedorov Replaces Denys Shmyhal as Ukraine’s Minister of Defense

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov has officially been appointed Ukraine’s Minister of Defense.

He replaces Denys Shmyhal, who is expected to take over as Minister of Energy.

Shmyhal had headed the Ministry of Defense since July 17, 2025. Before that, he served as Ukraine’s Prime Minister.

Mykhailo Fedorov was born on January 21, 1991, in Vasylivka, Zaporizhzhia region. He graduated from Zaporizhzhia National University in 2014.

He later completed training at the NATO Representation to Ukraine’s educational school and a digital transformation strategy program at Yale School of Management.

On August 29, 2019, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation, a position he held until recently.

Under his leadership, the Ministry of Digital Transformation actively cooperated with the Ministry of Defense, particularly in the development of unmanned technologies and in supporting the mobile applications Reserve+ for civilians and Army+ for military personnel.