Former Minister of Defense of Ukraine Mikhail Fedorov, who was dismissed on July 16, for the first time publicly commented on the reasons for his removal and harshly criticized the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Alexander Sirsky.
During a meeting with journalists, Fedorov stated that for a long time there were serious disagreements between him and Sirsky regarding army reforms, introduction of new technologies and approaches to war.
"We faced complete blocking of all our initiatives," he said.
According to Fedorov, Sirsky avoided talking openly about problems and instead created intrigues.
"Syrsky is not ready to talk about problems face to face. He prefers to participate in consultations, weave intrigues and think that someone is organizing a campaign against him," said the former minister.
He also accused the commander-in-chief of obstructing army reforms and causing division within the country.
"Instead of thinking about how to defeat Russia with non-standard solutions, he thought about how to divide the country," said Fedorov.
According to the former minister, President Vladimir Zelensky was faced with a choice whether to keep the Minister of Defense or the Commander-in-Chief. However, as Fedorov noted, he never presented an ultimatum to the president.
"I never said either I or Sirsky. When the president said that he is not going to release Sirski, I replied that I agree. It is the decision of the Commander-in-Chief, and I will try to work with him, because our main beneficiary is the Ukrainian people," he said.
On July 16, thousands of people protested in Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities, criticizing President Zelensky's decision to dismiss Fedorov. Some of the protesters claimed that the latter had successfully implemented the army's technological modernization plans and had broad support among the military and the public.
35-year-old Fedorov has been a member of Zelensky's team since 2019. Initially, he held the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, and in early 2026 he was appointed Minister of Defense. During his tenure, the introduction of new military technologies, the production of drones and the digital transformation of the army were accelerated.
In a number of cities of Ukraine, including Kiev, protests are underway against President Volodymyr Zelensky's sudden decision to dismiss Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
