Ukraine's parliament dismisses Defense Minister Shmyhal, eyeing Energy Ministry post

Before the vote, Shmyhal reported on his six months in office, highlighting contracts with fixed service terms, increased direct funding for brigades, and construction of defensive lines.

He also noted a sharp rise in domestically produced weapons on the front line — 76% of centralized procurement came from Ukrainian manufacturers in 2025, up from 46% in 2024 — and delivery of 2.2 million drones of various types, including 1.8 million FPV drones.

The dismissal passed with 256 votes in favor. Eight lawmakers opposed it, including members of the Golos faction. Golos MP Solomia Bobrovska said Shmyhal had done “colossally deep, professional work” after the “complete mess” left by his predecessor Rustem Umerov.

“Yesterday at the committee everyone — opposition and the majority — thanked Mr. Shmyhal,” she said. “But the worst problem remains that you cannot replace one person in every position where something is burning.”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had proposed the move, praising Shmyhal’s systematic work at the Defense Ministry and saying it was now needed in the energy sector.

“It’s important that after every Russian strike we can quickly restore what was destroyed and that the development of Ukrainian energy is stable and sufficient for Ukrainian needs,” Zelenskyy said.

The Verkhovna Rada appointed Shmyhal defense minister in July 2025. Before that he served as prime minister since 2020, leading the government through the COVID-19 pandemic and the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Zelenskyy recently proposed Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as Shmyhal’s successor at the Defense Ministry.

Both Shmyhal and Fedorov were considered for head of the presidential office, but Zelenskyy said he was not confident parliament and the government could quickly find replacements.