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Adam Zivo: Zelenskyy jeopardized Ukraine by ousting brilliant military reformer

He now seems to have realized his mistake

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a grave mistake last week when he dismissed the country’s popular defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, in an apparent effort to appease the military’s corrupt and ineffective old guard. Although mass protests quickly forced Zelenskyy to backtrack on firing the minister —  and even spurred belated reforms —  the incident has justifiably shaken public faith in his leadership.

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Fedorov is widely regarded —  both domestically and internationally — as one of the most effective members of Zelenskyy’s government. Originally appointed as minister of digital transformation in 2019, the 35-year-old tech prodigy is credited for Ukraine’s unlikely rise as a global leader in digital governance and aggressive adoption of wartime drone technology.

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Although Fedorov has never served in the army, Zelenskyy appointed him as defence minister in January during a particularly difficult time. Incessant missile strikes had left Kyiv without electricity amid a bitter winter, and Russia’s anticipated springtime offensive threatened to disrupt the frontlines. A change in direction was needed.

The young minister was unsettled by the inefficiency, corruption and Soviet-style thinking he witnessed within Ukraine’s military —  so he immediately implemented data-driven reforms, especially with respect to procurement, that arguably shifted the war in Kyiv’s favour.

Before his arrival, the defence........

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