A petition calling for Fedorov to remain in his position as defense minister did not receive enough votes

A petition on the website of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine calling for an appeal to the president to keep Mykhailo Fedorov in his position as defense minister did not receive the required number of votes to be considered.

It was registered on July 16, when rallies against Fedorov’s resignation were taking place in various cities across Ukraine. As of October 16, the petition had gathered 17,700 signatures out of the 25,000 required.

“Mykhailo Fedorov took the helm of the Ministry of Defense in January 2026 and, in a short time, has demonstrated tangible results in the technological modernization of the army, the acceleration of drone production, procurement reform, and the implementation of modern approaches to defense management. Amid the active phase of the war, replacing the head of the Ministry of Defense is extremely risky,” the petition stated.

In this regard, the author of the petition called for an appeal to the president recommending that Fedorov remain in office to ensure stability and the continuation of reforms in the defense sector, as well as to take control of the situation regarding possible personnel changes in the Ministry of Defense.

As previously reported, on July 16, the Verkhovna Rada approved the new composition of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine upon the recommendation of the newly appointed Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky. At the same time, the positions of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense were not filled under the president’s quota, as no nominations were submitted for these positions.

Since then, protests calling for dialogue and reforms in the defense sector—as well as the reinstatement of Fedorov as defense minister—have continued for over a month in Kyiv and a number of other cities.

On July 20, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed Yevhen Khmara to serve as acting Minister of Defense of Ukraine, and on August 19, parliament approved the president’s nomination of Khmara to the position of minister.

On August 19, one of the protest organizers—a veteran, activist, and former combat medic with the “Wolves of Vinci” battalion—Dmytro Koziatynskyi stated that, in my opinion, in the current situation, it is worth shifting to traditional advocacy and pushing for reforms without taking to the streets.

On September 26, Fedorov announced the launch of the “Army of Robots” project to develop and scale up robotic technologies for use in warfare, emphasizing the need to use them to carry out the most dangerous tasks and save the lives of soldiers.

This was reported with reference to a petition on the website of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Fedorov has become an advisor to the Italian Minister of Defense.

Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that Ukraine is gradually losing its advantage in the war and has only a few months to make important changes. In his view, the country lacks a clear plan for victory, and bureaucracy, corruption, and the slow adoption of new technologies are preventing it from realizing its full potential. At the same time, Fedorov believes that Ukraine still has the opportunity to turn the situation around.

Fedorov stated that Ukraine is gradually losing the war.

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he does not rule out running in the upcoming presidential election.