Ukraine Parliament Approves Dismissals for Major Wartime Reshuffle

January 14 ------ Ukraine’s parliament voted to dismiss Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, approving a major wartime government reshuffle that President Volodymyr Zelensky says is aimed at making the military more technologically advanced as Russia escalates missile and drone attacks.

A total of 265 lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada backed Shmyhal’s dismissal. Shmyhal, who became defense minister in July 2025 after serving five years as prime minister – the longest tenure since Ukraine’s independence – led the government through the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s full-scale invasion. Under Zelensky’s plan, Shmyhal will become first deputy prime minister while also taking charge of the Energy Ministry, a move that comes as Ukraine struggles to protect its power grid from sustained Russian strikes.

Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, widely credited with driving Ukraine’s battlefield tech innovation, is expected to take over the Defense Ministry. Zelensky has said the shift reflects the need to offset Russia’s numerical advantage with technology, including drones, digital command systems, and rapid procurement. Parliament also approved Fedorov’s resignation from his previous post, with 270 lawmakers voting in favor, clearing the way for his transition to defense leadership. Fedorov is expected to soon present his vision for reforming the ministry.

In a parallel move, lawmakers voted to dismiss Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) chief Vasyl Maliuk, despite an earlier parliamentary committee rejecting the proposal. Zelensky thanked Maliuk for his service and suggested he remain within the security services, focusing on asymmetric special operations against Russia, a role the president described as strategically critical.

Maliuk confirmed he will continue to work in Ukraine’s security services, pledging that Ukraine’s security services would continue striking Russian forces both on and behind the front lines. Under Malyuk’s command, the SBU has spearheaded Ukraine’s clandestine war against Russia, by most accounts with great effectiveness. Perhaps the best-known and most spectacular confirmed SBU operation took place in June 2024, when SBU agents used strike drones concealed in freight trucks to attack four military airfields deep inside Russia. The operation reportedly damaged or destroyed about one-third of the Kremlin’s strategic bomber fleet – 41 aircraft. Maliuk became a household name in Ukraine following the 2022 sabotage of the strategically critical Kerch Bridge, carried out by SBU agents using a truck loaded with 21 tons of hexogen explosives.

The resignation comes amid a wave of high-profile personnel moves by Zelensky. Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s defense intelligence, HUR, was appointed head of the Presidential Office. Zelensky has said he plans broader rotations across all security, law enforcement, and military leadership to ensure “fresh strength” as the war continues. Most outgoing officials are expected to stay in government in new roles. The reshuffle underscores Kyiv’s effort to recalibrate its leadership as the war enters a new phase, marked by deeper strikes, rapid technological adaptation and mounting pressure on critical infrastructure.

Source: kyivpost.com