The Verkhovna Rada supported the appointment of Mykhailo Fedorov to the position of Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
This became known from the broadcast of the plenary session of the Verkhovna Rada on January 14.
277 MPs voted pro, 8 MPs abstained.
During his speech from the parliament rostrum, Fedorov spoke about his plans as head of the Ministry of Defense.
"I am taking up the position of Minister of Defense not as a minister who built a digital state and created ʼDiiaʼ, but as a person whose team has spent a lot of time working on war since 2022," he said, adding that there is currently a need for comprehensive changes in the organizational structure of the army.
Among the problems that hinder the military on the front lines and require solutions, Fedorov named the "paper" army, Soviet approaches, excessive bureaucracy, and failures in providing the front.
Mykhailo Fedorov also reported an in-depth audit of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, "to find additional opportunities to improve the financial and social level of support for the military".
"We need to quickly, once and for all, change the system of training Ukrainian military personnel. We cannot ignore the problem of TRCs. After a comprehensive audit, we will propose a systemic solution to solve the problems accumulated over the years and at the same time preserve the countryʼs defense capability," the new Minister of Defense noted.
According to him, the goal for the Ministry of Defense for 2026 is to increase the volume of international military assistance and integrate the scientific and research potential of partners. Fedorov called anti-corruption the foundation of the new Ministry of Defense.
Another ambitious goal of the Ministry of Defense, according to him, is to make Ukraine the first country in the world that will be able to predict and neutralize enemy attacks using artificial intelligence.
The new Minister of Defense also emphasized the importance of creating a Ukrainian air defense and laser-guided artillery system.
- On January 13, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Fedorov from the post of First Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Digital Transformation. Until then, he remained the last minister from the original 2019 Cabinet to retain his position.
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