Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Oleksandr Syrsky has responded to criticism from outgoing Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, calling for unity and a focus on winning the war.
In a post on Telegram, Syrsky said he was proud that Ukraine had successfully defended Kyiv during Russia’s 2022 invasion, making it possible for officials to hold public briefings and debates in the capital today.
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“I am proud that thanks to the defense of Kyiv in 2022, we managed to protect our capital. Today, briefings can be held in this city, visions can be formed, and decisions can be made,” Syrsky wrote.
He added that he would continue doing everything possible to ensure such events could take place in a free and independent Ukraine.
“To achieve this, we must remain focused on the war and on an effective strategy that is already delivering concrete results.”
Syrsky also thanked Fedorov for his work as defense minister and wished him success.
“I thank Mykhailo Fedorov for his work as Ukraine’s defense minister. I wish him to remain part of the Ukrainian team.”
Under Ukraine’s Constitution, the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko automatically triggered the resignation of the entire Cabinet of Ministers. However, the outgoing government continues to perform its duties until a new cabinet is formally appointed.
Although speculation about Fedorov’s future had circulated for days, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Wednesday that Fedorov would not remain defense minister in the new government.
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According to Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources familiar with discussions inside the ruling Servant of the People faction, Zelensky decided to replace Fedorov largely because of his prolonged conflict with Syrsky.
The sources said the president told lawmakers he could no longer tolerate the growing tensions between the Defense Ministry and the General Staff, although dismissing Fedorov had been a difficult decision.
One lawmaker quoted Zelensky as saying the two men had fundamentally different approaches to the war.
“Misha wants to digitize everything and build the system around technology. The military simply wants to be heard. They ask for one type of weapon, while he prioritizes something else. They eventually stopped listening to each other.”
Another MP cited Zelensky as saying he could not allow the Defense Ministry and the General Staff to remain in open conflict while the country is at war.
“Syrsky would come and say Fedorov wasn’t providing what was needed for specific operations. Then Fedorov would reply that everything had been delivered but was being used incorrectly. It became a vicious circle. I cannot allow the Defense Ministry and the General Staff to fight each other during wartime.”
According to lawmakers, Zelensky also criticized Fedorov for failing to complete the promised mobilization reform, arguing that Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko could better address problems within Ukraine’s territorial recruitment system.
One MP quoted the president as saying that if Russia announced a new wave of mobilization, Ukraine would need a stronger mobilization system rather than additional digital reforms.
Speaking alongside outgoing UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday, Zelensky confirmed that Klymenko remains one of the candidates to replace Fedorov but stressed that no final decision has yet been submitted to parliament.
“Klymenko is one of the candidates under consideration. However, I have not yet submitted the relevant documents to parliament because the appointments of the defense minister and foreign minister require separate votes.”
The president said both Klymenko and Fedorov have strong qualities, but emphasized that the Defense Ministry and the military leadership must work as one team. He also said Klymenko’s experience tackling abuses linked to Ukraine’s territorial recruitment centers (TRCs) could be an important advantage.
Earlier on Thursday, during an emergency press briefing, Fedorov said Ukraine would have a better chance of defeating Russia if Zelensky replaced both Syrsky and Chief of the General Staff Andriy Hnatov.
According to Fedorov, he proposed such changes shortly after taking office but accepted Zelensky’s decision to retain Syrsky:
“When the president said he was not planning to replace Syrsky, I accepted that decision and said I would learn to work with him because our client is the Ukrainian people.”
However, Fedorov said nearly all of his reform initiatives were later blocked by the General Staff.
He claimed the ministry had been unable to reform its structure, establish competence centers, or recruit specialists because key organizational changes required General Staff approval.
“Imagine a country at war that cannot transfer personnel to the Defense Ministry because everything is blocked. This culture must be eradicated because we will not defeat the enemy this way.”
According to Fedorov, Syrsky was unwilling to publicly acknowledge problems inside the military and instead sought to deepen divisions.
“Syrsky is not ready to speak openly about the problems. Instead of thinking about how to defeat Russia, he came up with how to split the country,” he said.
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