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The ink on Mykhailo Fedorov’s dismissal from the Ministry of Defense was barely dry when he was hit with a serious scandal.
Ukrainian opposition MP Oleksiy Goncharenko revealed on August 20 that the former defense chief — who spent his brief tenure attempting to overhaul the country’s embattled mobilization apparatus — managed to secure a military draft exemption just two days after leaving his post.
The revelation has ignited intense public scrutiny, highlighting a glaring disconnect between the rigorous military policies championed by high-ranking officials and the safety nets available to them once they step down.
Fedorov, who was dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July after serving as defense minister since January, reportedly obtained his mobilization deferment on July 18.
According to Goncharenko, the exemption was granted through the “Eastern Europe” Charitable Foundation — an organization heavily linked to international donor networks, including George Soros’s “Renaissance” foundation.
While non-governmental organizations and international charities frequently secure critical workforce reservations for humanitarian and operational continuity, the timing and identity of the beneficiary have turned this routine bureaucratic process into a lightning rod for criticism.
The core of the public outcry centers on a signature policy initiative introduced during Fedorov’s time leading the Ministry of Defense.
Prior to his departure, Fedorov heavily promoted a new 14-month infantry assault contract aimed at revitalizing frontline recruitment.
Marketed aggressively as a modernized, high-incentive path to military service, the program boasted what officials called the highest assault trooper salary in the world.
Fedorov pitched the contracts as a vital and fair step toward stabilizing Ukraine’s heavily strained front lines. Yet, he, the architect of the high-paying combat contract, declined to test the waters himself.
“He needs to lead by example. Fedorov must sign a Fedorov contract! That would be the fair thing to do, at the very least,” Goncharenko remarked on his Telegram channel. “Why won’t Mr. Fedorov sign a Fedorov contract? Because he’s already been reserved.”
The scandal taps into deep-seated public sensitivities regarding equity in Ukraine’s mobilization process. As Kyiv continues to grapple with draft evasion and a depleted frontline workforce, the optics of former top ministers securing immediate administrative or charitable deferments risk deepening civilian skepticism.
Fedorov built a formidable reputation as a tech-savvy innovator — most notably spearheading Ukraine’s digital transformation before taking the defense portfolio. However, his transition from reforming the military’s recruitment apparatus to securing an NGO-backed exemption underscores the persistent chasm between the rules applied to the general populace and those who write them.
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