Zelensky Made the Most Painful Choice: True Reasons for Fedorov's Dismissal Revealed
Conflict with Syrskyi, failure of mobilization reform, and struggle for army control may have been decisive factors in the reshuffle
July 16, 2026, 07:08
The dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov from the post of Minister of Defense became one of the most unexpected personnel decisions by Volodymyr Zelensky. According to Ukrainska Pravda, citing participants of a closed meeting of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, the president personally admitted to deputies that the decision was extremely difficult for him.
According to the publication's sources, Zelensky spent about ten minutes searching for words to explain the reasons for firing one of his closest associates. The main argument was the protracted conflict between the Minister of Defense and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
The president allegedly stated that the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff had effectively stopped working as a single team. According to him, Fedorov focused on digitalizing the army and developing technological projects, while the military leadership insisted on funding specific types of weapons and operational needs at the front.
Sources claim that mutual accusations between Syrskyi and Fedorov became systemic. The military complained about a lack of funding for certain operations, while the Ministry of Defense leadership assured that the necessary resources had already been allocated but were used inefficiently.
Another reason for the personnel decision, the president allegedly cited, was the failure to implement the promised mobilization reform. According to the publication, this is why the current Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, is planned to head the defense ministry, tasked with bringing order to the army's recruitment system.
UP's interlocutors also claim that Zelensky warned deputies about a possible new large-scale mobilization in Russia in the fall and emphasized the need to solve Ukraine's internal problems before a potential escalation. As a result, the president chose to preserve a unified vertical chain of command for the army, despite the political cost of such a decision.
