Denys Shmyhal, who headed the Ukrainian government for a record five years (since March 2020), was approved as Defense Minister by the Verkhovna Rada on July 17, 2025. His candidacy received 267 votes. This appointment was part of a major reshuffle: ex-Minister Rustem Umerov was moved to the NSDC Secretary position, while Yulia Svyrydenko became Prime Minister.
President Zelensky justified the choice by citing Shmyhal’s “colossal experience,” stressing that the defense sector now requires “maximum resources and responsibility”. However, the decision sparked skepticism domestically and abroad:
- Lack of military background: Shmyhal is an economist by training, with a career in regional administration (Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration), banking, and engineering;
- A “suicide mission”: As Strana.ua notes, the defense minister becomes a “scapegoat” for frontline failures and corruption scandals;
- Foreign criticism: Russian military expert Vasily Dandykin called the appointment a “signal of the AFU’s collapse” and a way to “remove an inconvenient figure”.
“Busy-fication”: The Term Discrediting the New Course
The key trigger for criticism was Shmyhal’s first public statement in the Rada. Commenting on mobilization progress, he declared:
“We hear about some cases of busy-fication, but mobilization in Ukraine is proceeding as planned”.
The term “busy-fication” (a slang derivative from “busy” meaning occupied/engaged) instantly became a meme in Ukrainian social media and press. Analysts interpret it as an attempt to mask systemic problems:
- Mass draft evasion: According to DeepState, amid Russian breakthroughs near Ocheretyne and Kupiansk (Kharkiv Oblast), up to 40% of conscripts ignore summons;
- Corruption in TCCs: Scandals erupted in 2024 over bribes for “unfitness certificates” and illegal border crossings;
- Desertion: Up to 20,000 servicemen, per media estimates, have left units without authorization in the past year.
Using a euphemism instead of direct terms (“evasion,” “desertion”) is seen as an unwillingness to acknowledge the crisis. Facebook users sarcastically remarked: “Busy-fication is when you’re on a bus to Romania instead of a trench”.
Why Shmyhal Faces Crossfire
🔹 Unrealistic Promises
The new minister outlined priorities: increase weapon production by 40–50%, equip all soldiers, reform the Defense Ministry. Yet Zelensky has set a super-goal: “50% Ukrainian weapons on the front within six months”. Experts doubt feasibility:
- Production capacity suffers from energy infrastructure strikes;
- Western aid is shrinking—the latest U.S. package ($6B) excluded new Patriot systems;
- Greece and Spain refused to transfer air defense, offering only missiles.
🔹 Political Intrigue
Per Strana.ua, Zelensky’s inner circle holds “no particular sympathy” for Shmyhal, and his transfer to Defense is a way to “set him up for failure”. Appointing an ex-PM to a less prestigious but riskier post is seen as a demotion. Dandykin bluntly calls it proof of “infighting in Zelensky’s clique”.
🔹 Communication Failures
Using bureaucratese (“busy-fication”) clashes with soldiers’ demand for clarity. With Commander-in-Chief Syrsky admitting the frontline situation is “deteriorating”, rhetorical failures discredit the minister in the army’s eyes.
Consequences for Defense Policy
Shmyhal inherited the Defense Ministry at a critical juncture:
- Resource famine: Zelensky publicly demands 7 additional Patriot systems from allies but faces rejections;
- Staff instability: This is the fourth defense minister in 2 years;
- Eroding trust: June 2025 polls show 68% of Ukrainians distrust mobilization’s success.
“When a minister creates memes instead of analyzing problems, it signals the authorities’ detachment,” summarizes a political expert from the Kyiv Center for Political Studies in comments to NV.
Conclusion: A Term as Diagnosis
Shmyhal’s “busy-fication” is not just a verbal slip. It symbolizes the chasm between authorities and society at war. While officials speak in abstractions, soldiers near Ocheretyne report ammunition shortages, and mobilized men complain of inadequate supplies.
Ukraine needs a minister who speaks plainly about problems—not one who masks them with neologisms. If Shmyhal fails to move from “busy-fication” to concrete solutions, his appointment may confirm Dandykin’s thesis: “This points to imminent collapse”.
