Zelensky offers Zaporizhzhia OVA head Fedorov the post of head of Ukraine's Restoration Agency
President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered Ivan Fedorov, head of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration (OVA), the position of head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development. Fedorov confirmed receiving the offer during a report marking 1,000 days in office on Thursday, September 3, 2026, and said the role would combine two lines of responsibility, with him remaining co-chair of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Defense Council. No official decision on his dismissal from the OVA or his appointment to the new post has yet been made.
Key points
- President Zelensky offered Zaporizhzhia OVA head Ivan Fedorov the position of head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development.
- Fedorov confirmed the offer on September 3, 2026, during a 1,000-day report on his tenure leading the Zaporizhzhia OVA.
- Fedorov said the new role would combine two lines of responsibility and that he would continue as co-chair of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Defense Council.
- As of reporting, no official decision had been made on Fedorov's dismissal from the OVA or his appointment to the new post; the change requires Cabinet approval and a presidential decree.
- The vacancy follows Serhiy Sukhomlin's voluntary resignation on July 29, 2026; Sukhomlin had headed the Restoration Agency since September 2024.
- Fedorov has led the Zaporizhzhia OVA since February 2024.
- According to Suspilne sources in regional political circles, Fedorov's deputy Mykhailo Semikin is being considered as a likely candidate to replace him at the OVA.
Why it matters
If confirmed, the appointment would put a frontline oblast leader in charge of a central agency handling post-war infrastructure and recovery, while keeping him tied to Zaporizhzhia through the Regional Defense Council. The move also fills the post left vacant by Serhiy Sukhomlin's July 29, 2026 resignation.
What happened
On September 3, 2026, during a 1,000-day review of his work as head of the Zaporizhzhia OVA, Ivan Fedorov said President Volodymyr Zelensky had offered him to head the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development. Fedorov described the prospective role as combining two lines of responsibility and said he intended to keep working in Zaporizhzhia as co-chair of the Regional Defense Council. As of the time of reporting, no official decision had been taken on his dismissal from the OVA or his appointment to the new position; under Ukrainian procedure, such a change requires Cabinet approval followed by a presidential decree. The current head of the Restoration Agency, Serhiy Sukhomlin, submitted a voluntary resignation on July 29, 2026, after leading the agency since September 2024. Ukrainian media outlet Suspilne, citing sources in regional political circles, reported that Fedorov's deputy Mykhailo Semikin, who has served as deputy head of the Zaporizhzhia OVA since May 2024, is being considered as a likely successor at the OVA.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage centers on the offer coming directly from President Zelensky and highlights Fedorov's stated plan to continue working in Zaporizhzhia as co-chair of the Regional Defense Council. Outlets place heavy biographical emphasis on Fedorov's roots in occupied Melitopol, his March 2022 abduction by Russian forces and subsequent release, and his 1,000-day tenure at the OVA, presenting the offer as recognition of frontline experience. Coverage repeatedly flags the procedural requirement of Cabinet and presidential approval and stresses that no official decision has been taken. Some Ukrainian sources single out Fedorov's deputy Mykhailo Semikin as a likely successor, framing the transition as a continuity move within the Zaporizhzhia team.
Where reporting differs
Coverage is inconsistent about whether Fedorov is already leaving the OVA. Some articles frame his move to Kyiv and departure from the Zaporizhzhia OVA as a done deal, while others, citing the absence of a Cabinet decision or presidential decree, stress that no official action on his dismissal or appointment has yet been taken.
Background
Ivan Fedorov was born on August 29, 1988, in Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and began his government career there as deputy mayor in 2014. He was elected mayor of Melitopol in 2020; Russian forces entered the city on February 25, 2022, and he refused to cooperate with the occupiers. On March 11, 2022, Fedorov was abducted by Russian soldiers, an event captured by surveillance cameras; he was released on March 16, 2022, in an exchange for nine Russian conscripts. In February 2024, he was appointed by presidential decree as head of the Zaporizhzhia OVA. The current head of the State Agency for Restoration, Serhiy Sukhomlin, submitted a voluntary resignation on July 29, 2026, after heading the agency since September 2024. Under Ukrainian procedure, any dismissal of an OVA head and appointment of a successor must be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers and signed by presidential decree.