Former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that his dismissal in July was primarily linked to an attempt to reform the military procurement system. In an interview with «Ukrainska Pravda», he said that the introduction of tenders and the reorganisation of the ministry’s management had met with resistance from officials both within and around the ministry.
Briefly about the main points
- Fedorov cited the procurement reform as the main reason for his dismissal.
- He considered the launch of competitive tenders to be the first step.
- The former minister spoke of pressure and a smear campaign surrounding the reform.
- Khmara has been appointed acting Minister of Defence.
- Fedorov denied having a personal conflict with Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Tenders and management restructuring
Fedorov He held the post of Minister of Defence for around six months. According to him, the team did not focus on individual contracts, but rather on changing the way the system operated: launching tenders, establishing a new management structure and recruiting staff in line with the defined objectives.
«The reason is linked to procurement, tenders and the fact that we have started to overhaul processes in this area,» he said. Fyodorov claims that these measures have caused considerable discontent, and that he has been under pressure «from all sides».
Competitive tenders for defence procurement, organised through the Defence Procurement Agency, were publicly launched on 12 June. The Ministry of Defence explained that this new approach was driven by a desire to reduce manual intervention in the procedures, digitise them and limit the risks of corruption. The tender for 5,000 pick-up trucks was cited as the first practical example, with the four successful bidders being selected in less than a week.
Staff changes and disagreements with the military command
Fedorova has been removed from the President’s cabinet Vladimir Zelensky. He was replaced by Yevhen Khmara, who had previously headed the SBU; on the Ministry of Defence’s website, Khmara is listed as acting minister in accordance with the Cabinet of Ministers’ order of 17 July.
The former minister said that Zelenskyy had informed him of his dismissal less than an hour before the meeting of the «Servant of the People» parliamentary group. The President had previously spoken about Fedorov’s conflict with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, who was subsequently dismissed as well.
Fedorov himself denied having a personal feud with Syrskyi. He described the differences as a clash of worldviews regarding the conduct of the war and added that the Ministry of Defence had not blocked any decisions made by the General Staff or the Commander-in-Chief.
The dispute over control of a large system
According to the Ministry of Defence, the defence procurement budget for 2025 stood at 497.7 billion UAH. The strategic review of the system for 2026–2027 envisaged standardisation, digitalisation, the development of contractual mechanisms for direct contracts and restricted tenders, as well as anti-corruption measures.
This suggests that the dispute may have centred on a broader model of procurement control, where it is necessary to balance competition, speed of delivery and the protection of sensitive military information. At the same time, the personnel change does not in itself signify a shift away from technological and digital priorities: following the reshuffle, the authorities have cited the development of cyber capabilities, long-range capabilities and military training as among their priorities.
