In his speech at the Rada, Shmyhal noted: “I am leaving this position with the belief that the subsequent changes will lay the foundation for reforms, and our collective achievements will help strengthen Ukraine.”
In addition, the deputies supported the resignation of the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk, with 235 parliamentarians voting in favor.
Maliuk announced his intention to resign at the beginning of January. He has been temporarily replaced by Yevhen Khmara, who previously headed the Special Operations Center "A."
Shmyhal held the position of Minister of Defense since July 2025 and had previously served as Prime Minister of Ukraine for five years.
At the beginning of 2026, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced his decision to change the format of the Ministry of Defense's work and proposed Mykhailo Fedorov, the Minister of Digital Transformation, to take this position.
