Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has defended his decision to dismiss popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, confirming reports of a breakdown in relations between the ministry and the country's top army leadership. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv alongside British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Zelenskyy stated there had been a “challenging dialogue” between Fedorov – widely seen as a reformist and moderniser – and the military's commander in chief, Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Zelenskyy on the rift
“I would very much like to see unity. The sides have not found it. And the problem lies not only with the sides, but with me as well,” Zelenskyy said. “But things are as they are. And in such a situation, you have a choice: either one side or the other.” He has appointed the acting head of Ukraine's security service, Yevhenii Khmara, as acting defence minister and asked parliament to approve him in the position.
Zelenskyy's decision to back Syrskyi has outraged civil society and dismayed Ukraine's foreign partners. More than 1,000 protesters gathered outside the presidential office in Kyiv on Thursday, carrying placards in support of Fedorov. One read: “For what?” Another said: “Is your head screwed on?” Loud chants of “Syrskyi out” were heard. It was only the second time since Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion that large numbers of people have taken to the streets in anti-government protests. A year ago, Zelenskyy's decision – later reversed – to close two anti-corruption agencies provoked a similar backlash.
Starmer's farewell visit overshadowed
The growing domestic political crisis overshadowed Starmer's farewell visit to Kyiv, ahead of his departure from Downing Street on Monday. The two leaders laid wreaths at the Wall of Remembrance before holding one-on-one talks in the garden of the presidential palace. At a joint press conference, Zelenskyy awarded Starmer the Order of Freedom, Ukraine's highest foreign honour. Starmer, appearing close to tears, gave Zelenskyy a framed Ukrainian flag that had hung above Downing Street in February 2022 as Russian tanks rolled towards Kyiv.
Starmer said he would soon depart the political stage but “the support of the United Kingdom for this course will never change”. He added: “It is in our bones. The flags are flying in churches and town halls across the country, as they have throughout the duration of this conflict. Your fight is our fight.” The UK prime minister said Ukrainian drone strikes on long-range targets inside Russia had shifted the war's momentum, describing Putin as “losing”. He noted the more optimistic mood in Ukraine over the last six or seven months, attributing it to “hard work, guts, resolve and courage”.
Fedorov's response and accusations
Meanwhile, Fedorov addressed his own press conference, accusing Ukraine's top brass of obstructing reforms and using Soviet-style methods. He said decisions on which military brigades to support – including with drones – were made on the basis of “loyalty” rather than data. “It's impossible to develop the system on this basis,” he said. Fedorov claimed Ukraine's general staff had opposed his plans to create centres of excellence and change the army's organisational structure, instead blocking initiatives and engaging in “bureaucratic wrangling”. He said he had proposed replacing Syrskyi – a suggestion that appears to have led to his own dismissal on Wednesday.
“This sort of culture needs to be eradicated, because otherwise we won't be able to defeat an enemy whose system is plagued by the very same issues,” Fedorov said. “We have no other choice if we want to defeat Russia asymmetrically, with minimal losses.” Fedorov said he had turned down an offer from Zelenskyy to stay on as a government adviser. On Wednesday, Ukraine's parliament accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, after Zelenskyy said his government needed a reboot. Her replacement is likely to be Serhiy Koretskyi, the head of the energy company Naftogaz.
Political ramifications and protests
Fedorov's scathing comments suggest the political row over the president's reshuffle is likely to grow. Fedorov paid tribute to Syrskyi for thwarting Russia's plans to seize Kyiv, but said the commander in chief refused to talk openly about disagreements, instead “weaving intrigues” which “divide the country”. During Fedorov's six months in office, Ukraine's battlefield position dramatically improved. Kyiv has repeatedly pummelled Russian oil refineries, embarrassing the Kremlin and creating nationwide fuel shortages. It has also destroyed important land and sea routes, hitting tankers and ferries, as part of a strategy to isolate occupied Crimea.
Demonstrators who gathered outside Kyiv's Ivan Franko theatre speculated that the charismatic and digitally savvy Fedorov, 35, was removed because he was seen as a future presidential rival. In 2024, Zelenskyy dismissed the popular head of the army, Gen Valerii Zaluzhnyi, and exiled him to London as Ukraine's ambassador. One protester, Andrii Dligach, said Fedorov stood for a new kind of politics based on openness, transparency and modernisation. “Syrskyi is an old-fashioned general. Some of the people around him are allegedly corrupt and have their own drone projects. The problem is that Zelenskyy opposes anybody who shows political ambition,” Dligach said. He added: “Only a few people can influence the president's thinking. Most are against Fedorov. They prefer an old-fashioned management style, similar to the one in Russia, with a tsar.”
