The removal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a key figure in Ukrainian politics, has exposed the most serious public conflict within the country’s wartime leadership in years – one that now involves the president, the commander-in-chief, parts of the military establishment and thousands of Ukrainians who have taken to the streets. With one of Ukraine’s most important wartime positions now held on an acting basis, attention is increasingly shifting to the country’s military prospects as the power struggle in Kyiv intensifies to Moscow’s potential benefit.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. From digital whizzkid to key wartime figure Fedorov was one of the people who helped make Zelensky president, running the social media operation behind his 2019 campaign. He subsequently became Ukraine’s first minister of digital transformation, turning into one of the earliest and most persistent advocates of drone warfare, helped secure Starlink access and later worked to block Russian forces from using unauthorized Starlink terminals. Widely regarded as one of Ukraine’s most effective managers, his continued service even drew support from Zelensky’s 2019 presidential rival Petro Poroshenko, whose European Solidarity party described Fedorov as the only minister in the outgoing government it supported, he became defense minister in January 2026. In the position, he expanded drone procurement, promoted data-driven battlefield management and attempted to accelerate a military system that has often struggled to keep pace with technological change while promising overhaul of mobilization, though unsuccessfully.