Ukraine's Rada approves Fedorov's dismissal as Digital Transformation Minister, paving way for defense post

Before the vote, Fedorov reported to lawmakers on the ministry's work, noting that Ukraine now ranks fifth globally in the development of digital government services.

"We have achieved in six years what takes other countries 15–20 years. We did this during wartime, building the Ministry of Digital Transformation from scratch — not as a formal institution, but as a center of technological change," he said.

He highlighted that 23 million Ukrainians now use the Diia state services app. In telecommunications, the ministry achieved 97% 4G coverage (up from 76% in 2019) and connected 8,000 villages and small towns to the internet for the first time.

The dismissal passed with 270 votes in favor, two against and 37 abstentions.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had proposed Fedorov to lead the Defense Ministry instead of Denys Shmyhal, emphasizing the need for greater technology adoption and transformation in the defense sector.

Zelenskyy noted that since the start of the full-scale war, the Digital Transformation Ministry has been a key source of innovation for defense, including drone development, modern communications and support for domestic weapons producers. He said Fedorov has been deeply involved in the "drone line" initiative.

"Russia's main advantage in this war is the ability to apply scale — in strikes and assaults. We must respond with more active use of technology, faster development of new weapons and new tactics," Zelenskyy explained.

Mykhailo Fedorov became deputy prime minister for innovation and digital transformation minister in 2019 at age 28, making him one of the youngest government members at the time. He was the driving force behind the creation of the Diia electronic government services platform.