Ukrainian President Zelensky said on the evening of the 2nd that he had decided to nominate First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Fedorov to succeed Shmegar as Minister of Defense. Zelensky said he had decided to change the mode of operation of the Ministry of Defense. Fedorov is currently deeply involved in affairs related to the drone field and has made highly effective achievements in public services and digitalization, the Ukrainian national news agency reported on the 3rd.
The Ukrainian Independent Information Agency said the nomination of Fedorov as U.S. president‘s defense minister meant that the defense ministry‘s focus would shift to technology warfare, expanding drone production and working more closely with private manufacturers and start-ups. In fact, Zelensky believed that technological advantage and drones would become one of the main factors keeping the U.S. stable in the war.
Russian experts believe Zelensky‘s appointment of Fyodorov as defense minister is not accidental, the Moscow Komsomol reported on Tuesday. He has the capabilities for digitalization and automation, and the task in his new position is to further introduce drone technology into the military. Russian military expert Podolyaka said Zelensky is desperately searching for a way to equip personnel that can defeat his main domestic rivals and survive political struggles. This new appointment will help Zelensky compete with powerful rivals in the upcoming elections.
According to the Ukrainian Pravda on Tuesday, Budanov, the director of the Ministry of Defense’s Foreign Intelligence Service, has been promoted to the position of chief of the presidential office, according to a series of presidential decrees issued on the president’s website on the evening of the 2nd. Zelensky said that Budanov will focus more on security issues, the development of defense and security forces, and diplomatic negotiations in his new position. The New York Times said that Budanov is seen as a potential competitor to Zelensky, and this appointment may complicate Budanov’s presidential campaign. Meanwhile, Ivatshenko, the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service, has been promoted to the director of the Ministry of Defense’s General Intelligence Service.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, commented sarcastically on the appointment of Budanov, who has been listed as a Russian terrorist and extremist, as the new chief of staff, according to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, on the following day: “It is a good choice for the terrorist Budanov to become the new chief of staff.”
According to the Russian newspaper Opinion, Ukrainian expert Scheissler said that after Budanov was appointed as the director of the presidential office, Kiev would further strengthen its terrorist activities. This would strengthen the terrorist tendencies of the Kiev political regime and affect the negotiation process. In addition, Budanov is actually a puppet of Britain. In this context, it can be said that London‘s position in Ukraine has been strengthened. Therefore, Kiev will further strengthen its sabotage activities.
In addition, according to Russian BFM News Network, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the first day that it had handed over to the U.S. the decoding data and flight controllers of the Ukrainian drone that flew to the Russian presidential residence on December 29 last year to confirm that the target of the Ukrainian attack was the presidential residence. Russian political analyst Kortunov said that at present, the main question is how the U.S. will evaluate the data provided by the Russian side. If the data proves that the Russian presidential residence is a clear target of the Ukrainian side, then it can be expected that the U.S. will increase pressure on Zelensky to make more concessions.
Russian experts consider the most important achievements of the Russian military in 2025 to be the significant progress in the Donbas and the complete “liberation” of the Kursk region, according to the Russian newspaper Izvestia. Russian defense minister Belousov had previously said that the Russian military “liberated” more than 300 settlements and 6,000 square kilometers of territory in 2025, a third more than the 2024 number. Russian military expert Lyamin said that the main achievements of the Russian military over the past year have been continuing to put increasing pressure on Ukraine in various parts of the front. He said: “Ukrainian leaders are facing greater pressure.”
According to UTSN TV on Tuesday, U.S. military expert Romanenko said that the Ukrainian war will continue until 2026 and that hostilities may not cease until the end of the year. In mid-February, more active talks on ceasefire may be held by the relevant parties. All this depends on the development of military politics and military diplomacy.