News Has Emerged Of A Conflict Between Fedorov And Syrsky
- 16.07.2026, 8:22
The media are reporting that this is allegedly why Zelensky replaced Ukraine's defense minister.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has decided to dismiss Mykhailo Fedorov from the post of Minister of Defense of Ukraine due to his conflict with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi, reports "Ukrainska Pravda" reports, citing sources.
According to sources, at a meeting of the Servant of the People faction on July 15, the president stated that he could no longer tolerate the constant conflict between Fedorov and Syrsky, but it was clear that firing Fedorov “is very difficult for Zelenskyy,” the article states.
“They live in two different worlds. Misha wants to digitize everything, to build a system centered on technology. The military, on the other hand, just wants to be heard. They’re asking to purchase certain types of weapons, but he refuses and allocates funds to other areas instead. They’ve simply stopped listening to each other,” said one of the lawmakers present at the faction meeting, paraphrasing the president’s words.
According to the lawmakers, Zelenskyy tried to convey to them that his main motive was to balance the relationship between the military and the government.
“It got to the point of absurdity. Syrsky would come and say: ‘Fedorov isn’t providing anything for specific operations.’ Then Fedorov would come and reply: ‘We’ve given everything; it’s just being misused—not the right way and not where it’s needed.’ And so it went, round and round… Well, I can’t allow the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff to be at odds with each other in a country at war. Ideally, both should be replaced. But I can’t do that at the same time,” the MP recounted the president’s words.
He also stated that Fedorov had failed to carry out the mobilization reform, and that the current Minister of Internal Affairs, Igor Klymenko, would be able to “restore order” in the system for replenishing the Armed Forces of Ukraine with personnel.
“Zelenskyy said: if Putin announces a general mobilization on September 23, then no one will have time for jokes or digital reforms. We need to get mobilization sorted out before then,” said one of the deputies from the “Servant of the People” party.
The UP article states that the president found himself caught between two conflicting concepts of waging war, a situation exacerbated by the discontent of dozens of arms clans that had been cut off from the defense budget. Zelenskyy has opted to maintain the status quo within the current military hierarchy.