Fedorov Blames Procurement Reforms for Dismissal

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has attributed his dismissal in a political and military reshuffle to his efforts to overhaul the military procurement system.

In an interview with the Ukrainska Pravda news portal, he said the proposed changes had met resistance from officials inside and around the ministry.

“The reason is connected with procurement, tenders, to the fact that we began overhauling the processes in this area”, Fedorov said.

He added that the reforms had caused “significant dissatisfaction” and prompted pressure from several sides.

Fedorov, who held the post for six months, introduced competitive tenders for military procurement and began restructuring the ministry’s management.

He was replaced by Yevhenii Khmara, the former head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in a reshuffle that also saw Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko removed.

Fedorov’s supporters pointed to his role in shifting battlefield momentum in Ukraine’s favor through strikes on Russian infrastructure. His dismissal sparked several days of protests demanding his reinstatement.

President Volodymyr Zelensky later linked the dismissal to a conflict between Fedorov and commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was also removed from his post.

Fedorov denied any personal dispute, describing it instead as a difference of opinion over the conduct of the war. He stressed that the Defense Ministry had not blocked decisions by the General Staff or the commander-in-chief.

(Reuters, lud)