Zelensky details rift with Ukraine’s dismissed defence minister Fedorov
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised dismissed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for pursuing “misguided” actions including mass protests and calls for an early election amid their first public dispute.
Source: South China Morning Post · August 23, 2026 at 6:27 PM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 24 AUGUST 2026 —
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticised dismissed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for pursuing “misguided” actions including mass protests and calls for an early election amid their first public dispute.
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Zelensky said he still held a “very positive attitude” towards Fedorov, who modernised Ukraine’s armed forces before being dismissed last month after a falling-out with the military high command. He said Fedorov had rejected four alternative government roles and that holding elections during the war risked splitting the country apart.
The president linked Fedorov’s ministry to an awkward meeting with US President Donald Trump over Ukraine’s use of Starlink in Russian territory. Zelensky told Trump SpaceX had approved the plan, but Trump later said Elon Musk had rejected it and accused Ukraine of misleading him. Zelensky said the defence ministry later acknowledged possible inaccuracies.
Ukraine’s shortfall of Patriot air-defence missiles is worsening as Russian ballistic attacks intensify. Deliveries fell to 364 missiles in 2025 from 675 in 2023 and are expected to reach just 264 this year, according to Zelensky. He wants 300 additional missiles for the coming winter while the air force has requested 360, but production bottlenecks in the US and Europe limit supply.
On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces have almost fully recaptured the Dnipropetrovsk region, with only about 10 sq km remaining under Russian control. Zelensky said another operation is under way with results expected by the end of August. Russia’s principal objective remains the Konstantynivka-Sloviansk-Kramatorsk axis, and Moscow still demands Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas as a condition for peace.
Zelensky described severe financial pressure on Ukraine’s defence effort. He said the Defence Ministry faced a US$27 billion budget shortfall after earlier spending decisions brought forward funds intended for the second half of the year. He denied involvement in a money-laundering case after investigators named a deputy head of his office as a suspect.
Ukraine is preparing alternatives to Starlink, including a European communications project, as Russia and China develop competing systems. Zelensky pushed back against protesters who vilified former army chief General Oleksandr Syrsky and current Defence Minister Major General Yevhen Khmara, saying such rhetoric went too far.
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