Former Ukrainian defense minister revealed conflict with the Army Commander-in-Chief

“Instead of trying to defeat Russia with asymmetric tactics, which is the task of a commander in chief, he seeks to divide the country in which we live,” former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov said at a press conference in Kiev today, referring to Army Commander Oleksandr Syrsky.

This is the first time former minister Fedorov has spoken out since being dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 15. He has revealed many details about the conflict with General Syrsky since being appointed Minister of Defense of Ukraine earlier this year.

Mr. Fedorov said he had proposed replacing both Commander-in-Chief Syrsky and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov, saying this was a way for “Ukraine to defeat Russia with the lowest losses.” After President Zelensky affirmed that he would not dismiss General Syrsky, Mr. Fedorov accepted the decision and did not give any ultimatum in the direction of “choose only him or me”.

However, all proposed military reform initiatives were subsequently blocked, according to Mr. Fedorov. “Syrsky is not willing to discuss frankly, but only holds private meetings, creates conspiracy theories and believes that there are forces behind the media campaigns,” said the former Ukrainian minister.

Fedorov accused General Syrsky of “giving an ultimatum” to President Zelensky and isolating generals who promote military reform, including commander of the Joint Command Mykhailo Drapatyi and Deputy Commander of the Air Force Pavlo Yelizarov, who submitted his resignation today.

The former Ukrainian defense minister added that President Zelensky once asked him to take on an advisory position or continue participating in the government in another form, but confirmed that he refused.

Fedorov recognized General Syrsky’s important role in the early stages of the conflict, calling the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Army the man who “saved the country” with the campaign to defend Kiev, counterattack Kharkov and regain the city of Kherson in 2022. However, he said that the war had completely changed, in which unmanned equipment (drones) had become the decisive factor on the battlefield.

President Zelensky and General Syrsky have not commented on the information.

Mykhailo Fedorov was appointed by President Zelensky in January, becoming the youngest Defense Minister in Ukraine’s history, with the task of bringing new momentum to the country’s military efforts. He was also one of the first to promote widespread use of drones.

During the six months he held the position of Defense Minister, the Ukrainian army achieved significant achievements, especially in the field of drones, as well as launched a program of deep reform of the armed forces. This makes Fedorov also known as Ukraine’s “drone boss”.

On July 14, the Ukrainian Parliament approved the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, leading to the entire cabinet having to resign in accordance with the law. President Zelensky said at that time that it had not yet been decided whether Fedorov would continue to hold the position of Defense Minister of Ukraine in the new government.

On July 15, Mykhailo Fedorov announced that he would no longer hold this position.

Ukrainian media said President Zelensky plans to nominate Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as the new Defense Minister. Ukraine’s leader once confirmed to parliamentarians that Fedorov had a “systemic and unresolvable” conflict with General Syrsky and the army, according to Ukrainska Pravda.

The decision to dismiss Mr. Fedorov shocked Ukrainian politics and led to many protests. In Kiev, about 1,000-2,000 people, including many soldiers and veterans, gathered to protest this decision.