Dismissal of Ukraine’s defence minister highlights wider issues for Zelenskyy

Mykhailo Fedorov, celebrated by many for innovative, tech-driven approach, was sidelined for military old guard

Volodomyr Zelenskyy's abrupt dismissal of Ukraine's youthful and innovative defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, at precisely the moment Kyiv appeared to be gaining advantages in several spheres of its war with Russia has exposed, not for the first time, a troubling flaw in the president's leadership.

The move, which has startled senior European officials and caused consternation, and demonstrations, in Ukraine, is all the more shocking given Fedorov's role in pushing a clear strategy to prosecute the war, leveraging Ukraine's rapidly developing technological advances in drone and missile technology.