On 15 July 2026, Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the most popular official in his wartime cabinet. By the next morning Ukrainians were on the streets of Kyiv demanding his return. A deputy commander of the air force resigned in solidarity. Polling had just shown public trust in the man climbing from 38 percent to 50 percent in six months.
Mykhailo Fedorov had been defence minister for exactly six months. He was 35. He had never worn a uniform. He came out of software.
