Former Defense Minister Fedorov Says Powerful Interests Resisted Reforms That Led to His Dismissal

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov says he would “100%” return to lead the Defense Ministry if President Volodymyr Zelensky offered him the job, while arguing that resistance to his procurement reforms contributed to his abrupt dismissal earlier this month. In a wide-ranging interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Fedorov offered his most detailed account yet of the events surrounding his removal, the reforms he believes generated opposition, and his much-discussed dispute with then Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Asked directly whether he would return as defense minister if Zelensky offered him the position, Fedorov answered: “One hundred per cent.” “What would I say, not even to myself or the president, but to the active part of the public, which has made its position clear? There’s no walking away from this situation,” he said. Fedorov stressed that he was not seeking a government position simply to remain in power. “I really want people to understand that my goal is not to secure a job for myself,” he said. “I was completely fine about... not being in the government. That’s okay. I don’t need just any position.” But if he were to return, Fedorov said, it would need to be a job giving him genuine authority to pursue his vision for Ukraine’s war effort. “If I were to return to the government, given the mission I see for myself, it would have to be a position with real responsibilities. That is the Ministry of Defence,” he said. Other Topics of Interest Russian Missiles Attack Kyiv Overnight, Fires Reported in Sviatoshynskyi and Obolon Explosions rocked Kyiv early Thursday as Russian missiles targeted the capital, with debris sparking fires in the Sviatoshynskyi and Obolonskyi districts. “I understand all the challenges that lie ahead. I am absolutely ready for that. If not, there are other ways to achieve this vision.” Fedorov’s dismissal triggered rare wartime protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, with demonstrators demanding that he be reinstated. Zelensky subsequently replaced Syrskyi as commander-in-chief with Mykhailo Drapatyi after six days of protests. Fedorov says procurement reforms helped bring about his dismissal Fedorov also said resistance to changes in Ukraine’s defense procurement system was one of the factors behind his removal. Fedorov told Ukrainska Pravda that tensions had become apparent as early as April. “The Defence Ministry, and I as minister, were beset by many people because we started restructuring a lot of internal processes,” he said. He pointed specifically to procurement and competitive tenders, saying efforts to restructure those systems affected the interests of numerous people and companies. “The reasons related to procurement, tenders and the fact that we had started restructuring these processes made a lot of people very unhappy,” Fedorov said. He said his goal had not been to fight particular individuals or groups but to change the system itself, beginning with competitive procurement, restructuring management inside the ministry and changing the way personnel were selected. Fedorov said he had even warned Zelensky months before his dismissal that people whose interests were affected by the reforms could attempt to discredit him. “Around April, I warned the president: ‘Look, people are going to start coming to you saying that there’s something wrong with me, that I have political ambitions, that I own drone companies, that I’ve violated certain processes, and so on,’” he said. “You need to cross-check this information with me, because I’ve stepped on the interests of a lot of people and companies. I need your support here.” ‘There was no personal conflict’ with Syrskyi Fedorov, however, rejected the characterization of his dispute with Syrskyi as a conventional personal feud. “There was no personal conflict with the Commander-in-Chief in the usual sense,” he told Ukrainska Pravda. “It was more a difference in vision of how the war should be fought.” He described the disagreement as institutional and, in part, cultural – involving the speed of decision-making, the role given to younger commanders and the implementation of military reforms. “Young leaders need to be trusted with more freedom, decisions need to move faster and the reforms that have already started need to be seen through,” Fedorov said. He also sought to draw a distinction between disagreeing with military decisions and obstructing them. Fedorov said that during his six months at the Defense Ministry, it did not block a single decision by Syrskyi or the General Staff. “Because the army is fighting 24/7 and must be as effective as possible, even when I disagree with some decisions,” he said. That account comes after the dispute between the two men burst into public view following Fedorov’s dismissal. At the time, Fedorov sharply criticized Syrskyi, while Syrskyi defended his record and called for unity around the war effort. No ‘decorative’ job Fedorov also denied that he had issued an ultimatum demanding that he remain defense minister. He said he was offered several other posts following his dismissal and amid the protests but rejected positions he considered merely “decorative.” “I see myself as a manager who knows how to build a system and achieve results,” Fedorov said. “So there was no ultimatum in this situation. I was offered positions, and I said: no, thank you, I will work in a different field.” His condition for returning to government, he said, is the authority to continue implementing the approach to the war that he began developing before taking over the ministry. “But if I am needed to implement the vision of the war, then as defense minister I can continue this work and achieve the result I declared.” Fedorov’s interview comes as Ukraine’s reshaped military leadership begins moving forward without him. Acting Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara has taken over the ministry, while Drapatyi now leads the Armed Forces. Asked whether he was prepared to walk back through it, his answer was unequivocal: “One hundred per cent.”