Ukraine war latest: Zelensky dismisses Fedorov as defense minister
on Google
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect recent developments.
Key developments on July 15:
- Zelensky dismisses Defense Minister Fedorov
- Lockheed Martin supports granting Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot missiles, official says
- Total blackout in Kerch, Crimea after Ukrainian drone attack
- Russian Mi-28 helicopter downed by Ukrainian drone, Madyar claims
- Russian election results unlikely to affect escalation of war but could fuel mobilization, Zelensky says
- Russian attacks kill 12, injure 90 across Ukraine as Odesa Oblast hit with missiles for fifth straight day
President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Mykhailo Fedorov as Ukraine's defense minister as part of his administration's latest government overhaul.
The dismissal followed a meeting with military leadership on July 15, a Ukrainian official familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent. Fedorov then confirmed his dismissal in a social media later in the evening, saying it was "a great honor to serve the Ukrainian people as Defense Minister."
Fedorov enumerated the successes of his term, including the shutdown of Starlink systems for Russian forces, the campaign against Russian logistics in occupied Crimea, and "an unpopular but extremely important" military reform initiative.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko has been offered the role of Ukraine's next defense minister, a lawmaker from the governing Servant of the People party told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.
Lawmakers who spoke with the Kyiv Independent, both from the ruling party and opposition, disapproved of the potential change.
"It's bad news," a lawmaker from Zelensky's party told the Kyiv Independent.
It remains unclear whether Fedorov will be appointed to another role within the Ukrainian government.
Asked by journalists about Fedorov's possible dismissal, Zelensky declined to comment directly, saying only that he wants Ukraine's military to be "united" and "on the same page."
"The priority is dialogue between the army and the Defense Ministry, solving the problems of (recruitment), and closing the sky," he said, while confirming the meeting.
Lockheed Martin supports granting Ukraine Patriot missile licenses, official says
The U.S. has begun granting Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot missiles, moving the matter beyond political statements, a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the process told the Kyiv Independent on July 15.
Lockheed Martin, the U.S. defense company that manufactures the missiles, backs granting Ukraine the licenses, the official said. The official does not believe the process would last several months, as was earlier speculated.
The announcement follows U.S. President Donald Trump's July 8 pledge to approve Ukraine's long-standing request to produce American Patriot missiles under license.
"We expect that by the end of 2026, our Ukrainian team will have the technical capability to produce U.S. missiles," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 15.
Patriots have played a crucial role in defending Ukrainian skies against Russian ballistic missiles, but interceptor stocks have grown scarce as U.S. producers struggle to keep pace with both escalating Russian strikes and demand driven by the war in Iran.
Producing the interceptors domestically would let Ukraine channel its growing defense-industry resources directly into production, while reducing its reliance on U.S. manufacturers' output.
Apart from the U.S., Japan and Germany currently hold licenses to produce Patriot interceptors.
Total blackout in Kerch, Crimea after Ukrainian drone attack
The city of Kerch in occupied Crimea was plunged into darkness overnight after Ukrainian drone strikes caused a total blackout, Russian authorities said on July 15.
"Unfortunately, as a result of an enemy (drone) attack, Kerch is completely without power," Ivan Koshel, the Kremlin-installed head of the occupied city, said on social media.
"Life-support facilities are operating thanks to backup power sources. All municipal services are involved in emergency repair and restoration work."
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed 93 Ukrainian drones had been downed overnight.
The strikes are part of Ukraine's ongoing effort to isolate occupied Crimea by disrupting the military and commercial infrastructure that sustains the peninsula.
In the latest development, Ukraine launched a new phase of its maritime drone campaign in the Black Sea overnight on July 15, striking 20 Russian vessels, according to Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces.
The latest operation follows Brovdi's now-daily reports detailing strikes on Russian shipping in the Sea of Azov.
"Crimea has essentially turned into a military base for the Russians, allowing them to continue occupying the south of our country and transfer forces to the east," Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on July 1.
"Therefore, from both a military and logistical perspective, it is an important target for us."
Crimean energy company Krymenergo — seized by Russia following its illegal annexation of the peninsula in 2014 — confirmed the outages and also reported wider disruption.
"Power supply restrictions are in effect in Crimea," it said in a post on social media.
"Power outages will be implemented promptly, depending on the situation in the power districts. In the current situation, it is not possible to inform the public about power supply times."
read also
Russian Mi-28 helicopter downed by Ukrainian drone, Madyar claims
A Ukrainian drone downed a Russian Mi-28 helicopter on July 15, Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, said.
The aircraft was hit in Russia's Belgorod Oblast by soldiers from Ukraine's 427th Separate Unmanned Systems Regiment, he said in a post on social media.
A video accompanying the post shows footage from a drone as it pursues the helicopter before the video feed cuts out. Madyar claimed the strike caused the aircraft to fall "to the ground."
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the report.
Drone shootdowns of helicopters were unheard of until Aug. 6, 2024, when a Ukrainian drone reportedly downed another Russian Mi-28 in what was described as a "historic feat."
read also
Russian election results unlikely to affect escalation of war but could fuel mobilization, Zelensky says
The results of Russia's parliamentary elections, set for Sept. 18–20, are unlikely to affect the course of the war in Ukraine but could accelerate mobilization efforts inside Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 15 at the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Kyiv.
The remarks come as fuel shortages and rising prices intensify across Russia following Ukraine's campaign of long-range strikes against the Russian oil industry, which has put additional pressure on the Kremlin and fueled public discontent.
"The election results will have no impact on this escalation, because the results will be known before the election," Zelensky said at the summit attended by the Kyiv Independent.
"We know for certain that the percentage of people who no longer support his war has risen sharply. I don't really know how many people support (Vladimir) Putin, but the percentage of people who do not support the war and want it to end has risen very sharply," the president added.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval ratings have declined in recent weeks, according to polls by the state-run All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion.
A poll conducted from June 29 to July 5 showed that 66% of respondents approved of Putin's actions, down 0.9 percentage points from the previous week. Meanwhile, 72.3% said they trusted the Russian president, a decline of 1 percentage point over the same period.
As the survey was conducted by a state-run agency, the accuracy of the published results cannot be independently verified.
According to Zelensky, support for Russia's invasion has declined most noticeably in regions bordering Ukraine, where residents have experienced the consequences of the war firsthand.
"Things like this definitely influence the actual ratings and voting in the Russian Federation," Zelensky said.
Zelensky added that Putin may pursue further domestic escalation after the election regardless of the outcome, including stepping up mobilization.
"(Putin) won't be able to increase the number of contract soldiers because that would cost a lot of money. So he might resort to increasing mobilization," Zelensky said.
"We're thinking about this. We need to be prepared for such steps."
Russian attacks kill 12, injure 90 across Ukraine as Odesa Oblast hit with missiles for fifth straight day
Russian attacks killed 12 people and injured at least 90 others across Ukraine over the past day, as Russia launched its fifth consecutive day of combined missile and drone attacks against southern Odesa Oblast on July 15, according to local authorities.
A missile strike on Odesa overnight on July 15 hit a multi-story apartment building, killing three people and injuring at least six others, regional Governor Oleh Kiper reported.
"The enemy is deliberately targeting the civilian population and the region's civilian, industrial, and port infrastructure," Kiper said.
On July 14, Russia struck a civilian cargo ship in Odesa Oblast, killing two people, Governor Oleh Kiper said.
Beyond the attack on Odesa, Russia launched a total of two Kh-59/69 cruise missiles and 122 drones against Ukraine overnight, the Air Force said. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 101 drones.
In northeastern Sumy Oblast, 13 people were injured in Russian attacks across the region, local authorities said.
In a separate guided bomb attack on the city of Sumy, three people were killed, and 17 were injured, including a 16-year-old boy, local Governor Oleh Hryhorov said.
In Kharkiv Oblast, Russian attacks killed two people and injured 10 others, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said. Russian forces targeted 22 settlements in Kharkiv Oblast, including the city of Kharkiv, the regional capital.
In southern Kherson Oblast, one person was killed and 23 others, including one child, were injured by Russian attacks over the past day, regional Governor Oleksandr Prokudin said.
In eastern Donetsk Oblast, one person was killed, and seven were injured by Russian attacks over the past day, regional governor Vadym Filashkin said.
In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia and its surrounding oblast, one person was killed, and four others were injured by Russian attacks over the past day, regional governor Ivan Fedorov said.
In northern Chernihiv Oblast, a 37-year-old man was killed overnight in Ozeriany, following a strike by a Russian Geran drone, Governor Viacheslav Chaus said.
Chaus also said that a Russian FPV drone injured an 18-year-old man in the village of Prybyn. The man is in a critical condition, with doctors fighting to save his life.
A Russian attack on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast injured nine people, Governor Oleksandr Haznha said on July 14 and July 15.
