President Volodymyr Zelensky moved to extinguish a political crisis on Thursday (local time) sparked by his dismissal of a reformist defence minister, tapping a security official who has overseen Ukraine's long-range strikes against Russia for the post.

The meeting comes in a week when rumors and speculation that Fedorov could be replaced as defense minister have reached fever pitch.

Fedorov seen as a "barrier to interests seeking to profit from Ukraine’s vast wartime defense budget."

Mykhailo Fedorov had led technological innovations at the ministry. | World News