After President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday thanked then-Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko for her service, the reshuffle—the second in six months—appeared set to proceed smoothly.
Svyrydenko was expected to become Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, while Serhiy Koretsky, CEO of state energy company Naftogaz, was widely tipped to replace her. A capable manager with little political baggage, Koretsky seemed an uncontroversial choice.
Roughly half of the Cabinet portfolios were expected to remain unchanged, with the rest reassigned as several "super ministries" were broken up into smaller departments. Neither the personnel changes nor the structural reforms appeared likely to generate much controversy.
But that expectation quickly unraveled.
Although parliament approved the new government on Thursday with an overwhelming majority, controversy erupted over the exclusion of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Despite broad support from civil society, lawmakers in Zelensky's own party and much of the military establishment, the president did not see Fedorov as part of his next wartime Cabinet.
The presumed reason was an increasingly bitter personal conflict between Fedorov and Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The two men, representing different generations and contrasting approaches to modern warfare, had reportedly been at odds for months. According to political insiders, their relationship had deteriorated to the point where they could no longer hold meetings without the president acting as mediator.
Zelensky ultimately chose to end the dispute—not by dismissing the increasingly unpopular general, who has faced criticism over battlefield losses amid Ukraine's manpower shortages, but by removing the widely respected defence minister instead.
Fedorov had earned a strong reputation not only for reforming military procurement, streamlining the defence ministry and accelerating Ukraine's use of drones on the battlefield, but also for his earlier work as minister for digital transformation after joining the government in 2019.
He oversaw the creation and expansion of the Diia digital platform, widely regarded as one of the world's most advanced systems for delivering government services online.
Instead of a smooth political reset, Zelensky found himself facing a political backlash.
Rather than generating the sense of renewal often sought by governments that cannot seek a fresh electoral mandate during wartime, the reshuffle sparked criticism across the media and street protests.
As during last year's demonstrations against attempts to weaken Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions, protesters once again took to the streets carrying hand-written cardboard signs. This time, however, many demanded Fedorov's reinstatement while calling for Syrskyi's dismissal.
For many demonstrators, the dispute became another symbol of resistance to decisions perceived as undermining reforms while protecting entrenched interests and corruption at the highest levels of government.
Many observers believe that financial interests, rather than military disagreements alone, lay behind Fedorov's removal.
During just six months at the defence ministry, he introduced significant changes to procurement procedures, weapons certification and battlefield assessment.
His business-minded management style reportedly clashed with the military's traditional way of operating, while his efforts to reduce waste and eliminate corruption threatened companies that had long profited from defence contracts by inflating prices or supplying substandard equipment.
Although there is no conclusive evidence linking his dismissal to those reforms, it is widely understood in Kyiv that Ukraine's annual defence procurement budget—worth tens of billions of dollars—is among the country's most lucrative sources of influence.
The latest stage of Operation Midas involving defence contractor Fire Point has highlighted how closely some private companies remain connected to senior officials.
Fedorov may simply have disrupted too many established interests.
The reshuffle is unlikely to alter Ukraine's broader power structure. The Presidential Office—and ultimately Zelensky himself—will continue to make the country's key strategic decisions.
Nevertheless, several appointments reveal the administration's priorities.
Koretsky's nomination reflects the government's determination to prepare for what could be Ukraine's toughest wartime winter yet. Coming from the energy sector, with a strong record of managing state-owned energy companies, his immediate task will be to help the country survive another winter of Russian attacks on critical infrastructure.
The replacement of Taras Kachka by Vsevolod Chentsov as deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration underlines Kyiv's continued focus on closer ties with Europe. Chentsov, a career diplomat with extensive experience in EU affairs, is generally regarded as a technically strong choice.
Another notable appointment is Vitaliy Kim, the popular governor of the Mykolaiv region, as veterans affairs minister.
Although not a veteran himself, Kim enjoys broad public support and, together with Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, has become a leading figure in the newly established Association of Frontline Cities.
The organization is widely seen as a pro-government counterweight to influential mayors such as Kyiv's Vitali Klitschko and Dnipro's Borys Filatov, both of whom have had increasingly strained relations with the presidential administration.
Ironically, because of the dispute surrounding Fedorov's departure, Ukraine is temporarily left without either a defence minister or a foreign minister until parliament meets again.
When Fedorov was appointed defence minister in January, many analysts saw the move as a public relations effort to contain the fallout from the "Mindichgate" corruption scandal, which implicated figures close to Zelensky.
The scandal ultimately led to the departure of the powerful head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, who was replaced by the popular intelligence chief, Gen. Kyrylo Budanov.
That political strategy proved effective. Zelensky's approval ratings recovered, while reforms introduced under Fedorov strengthened Ukraine's wartime defence system.
This time, however, the president's team has yet to produce a similarly effective political remedy.
Zelensky emerges from the reshuffle politically weakened as Ukraine heads into another difficult autumn and winter under the shadow of war.
Tadeusz Iwański
Tadeusz Iwański
The author is head of the Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova department at the Warsaw-based Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW). From 2006 to 2011, he worked at Polskie Radio dla Zagranicy, the Polish public broadcaster's international service.
Note: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of public broadcaster Polish Radio.