Former Defense Minister Fedorov Receives Military Deferment Via NGO

Former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov has secured a legal deferment from military mobilization through his association with the charitable organization, Eastern Europe Foundation. According to Ukrainian law, men aged between 25 and 60 are required to serve in the military unless they obtain a legal deferment due to reasons such as employment in critical infrastructure or medical conditions.

At 35 years old, Fedorov, who is eligible to serve without holding a government position, received the deferment on Tuesday following his departure from the defense ministry. Lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko confirmed the deferment by sharing a letter from Kyiv's Territorial Recruitment Center (TRC) detailing Fedorov's status. The TRC confirmed that Fedorov holds a valid deferment from July 18, 2026, to January 19, 2027.

The deferment letter states that Fedorov, born on January 21, 1991, has a valid reservation through the charitable organization. Fedorov, who was dismissed from his post in July due to disagreements with the former commander-in-chief regarding defense reforms and procurement, left the position with a political crisis ensuing. He was later replaced by Yevhen Khmara, a former Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) commander.

Fedorov has since taken up a role as an advisor to Italy's defense ministry. The Eastern Europe Foundation, which traces its origins back to the Eurasia Foundation in 1992, is recognized as one of the leaders in Ukraine's public sector. The organization focuses on various areas, including democracy and civil society development, e-government implementation, small and medium-sized businesses, social entrepreneurship, and energy-efficient projects.

Fedorov previously served as the minister of Ukraine's newly founded Ministry of Digital Transformation from 2019 to 2026, overseeing the successful digitalization efforts that introduced Ukraine's popular Diia e-government portal. Fedorov was appointed defense minister in January 2026, tasked with revamping the country's mobilization system, with demobilization being one of the ongoing initiatives under his administration.

After leaving the defense ministry, Fedorov criticized the country's corruption for undermining effective defense against Russia's invasion and called for wartime elections, a suggestion that drew criticism from various corners of Ukrainian society. Meanwhile, Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, revealed that the country is planning to mobilize 30,000 troops per month to counter potential renewed offensives from Moscow.