Tech innovator and old guard general are focus of Ukraine's political crisis

By — Hanna Arhirova, Associated Press Hanna Arhirova, Associated Press By — Barry Hatton, Associated Press Barry Hatton, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/tech-innovator-and-old-guard-general-are-focus-of-ukraines-political-crisis Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Tech innovator and old guard general are focus of Ukraine's political crisis World Jul 21, 2026 2:25 PM EDT KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — One is a tech-savvy drone innovator with no military experience who became Ukraine's youngest defense minister six months ago and was credited with contributing to successes in defending against Russia's 4-year-old invasion. The other is a seasoned, Soviet-trained general more at home with traditional top-down command culture who led Ukraine's armed forces. When their personalities and policies clashed, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided one of them had to go as part of a wider government reshuffle. He dismissed the popular young upstart, sparking protests across the country. A look at the contrasting careers of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and commander of Ukraine's armed forces, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi. The youthful face of Ukraine's drone war The 35-year-old Fedorov was credited with modernizing Ukraine's drone program and changed military procurement rules in a crackdown on corruption. He argued that the military establishment was resisting changes demanded by the evolving war with Russia. The former tech entrepreneur drove forward Ukraine's innovative drone technology that has recently reshaped the battlefield and has earned the interest of other countries, including the United States, as well as those in Europe and the Middle East. "We transformed Ukraine into a global tech leader and a defense powerhouse," he said on social media after he lost his job last week in Zelenskyy's government shake-up. READ MORE: Ukraine fires 400 drones toward Moscow as Zelenskyy grapples with protests Fedorov also took credit for restricting Russian military access to Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet services. Before becoming defense minister in January, Fedorov headed Ukraine's digital transformation policies and introduced successful e-government platforms. Fedorov got that job after running the digital operations of Zelenskyy's presidential election campaign in 2019. Before that, he ran a digital marketing company. After his dismissal, Fedorov publicly accused Syrskyi of blocking military reforms and insisting on a traditional command culture. That criticism echoed complaints from soldiers and veterans over heavy casualties in costly front-line assaults. Appearing at a news conference in a dark T-shirt and jeans, Fedorov accused Syrskyi of blocking reforms needed because "the war has changed completely" due to new technology. The Soviet-trained general dubbed 'the Butcher' Protesters framed Fedorov's removal as an example of Zelenskyy siding in the feud wi