An extraordinary rupture at the heart of Ukraine’s top war-fighting team is a dangerous moment for the country that can only benefit Russia.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week decided to ditch Mykhailo Fedorov, his young, popular defence minister, and side with General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the head of the armed forces, following months of tension between the two camps behind the scenes.
But the move triggered rare, street protests in cities across Ukraine and – perhaps more worryingly for the president and military chief – is prompting disquiet within the ranks.
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Serving officers are choosing to speak out in support of Mr Fedorov – a young, popular reformer – while criticising the “old guard” represented by Syrskyi, a Soviet-era-trained commander.
The deputy head of the Ukrainian air force even quit, saying: “I believe that the removal of Mykhailo Fedorov is a great evil for the country’s defence capabilities.”
Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, another senior commander, praised a set of reforms to the army that the former defence minister had been trying to implement.
“There is now a willingness to listen to commanders, make decisions more quickly and support changes originating within units,” Major General Drapatyi wrote on Facebook on Thursday.
“The army needs change but, without justice, no change will be meaningful to the people who shoulder the burden of this war every day.”
Ukrainian media was critical of the president’s decision as well.
The Times cited comments by Vitalii Sych, the editor-in-chief of NV, a popular website.
General Oleksandr Syrskyi in Ukraine’s parliament in Kyiv in November 2024. File pic: Reuters
Russian bloggers gloat
He wrote: “In difficult moments, Zelenskyy behaves like a hero. But we should not forget that difficult moments are often caused by his idiotic decisions.”
There was also speculation in the media that the president’s move was in part fuelled by concern that Mr Fedorov, 35, was becoming too popular and could become a political rival.
Unsurprisingly, pro-war bloggers in Russia celebrated the turmoil.
Russian war correspondent Roman Saponkov said in a post on Telegram: “I sincerely rejoice at the resignation of the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Fedorov.
“The last six months were really tough.”
Defence minister’s rapid rise
Mr Federov, previously a minister for digital transformation, has been in Mr Zelenskyy’s government since the beginning.
He became Ukraine’s youngest-ever defence minister in January.
During the past six months, Ukrainian forces have achieved significant successes on the battlefield thanks to an evolution in drone warfare that he helped to champion.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Pic: Reuters
The now former minister was well regarded by the military and Ukraine’s western allies, in particular the UK.
Yet there were mounting tensions behind closed doors between him and General Syrskyi, 60, who led the defence of Kyiv in the early days of Russia’s full-scale war, but has faced criticism for not adapting quickly enough to the changing character of the conflict.
Grievances made public
In a highly unusual move, given the need to show a united front, Mr Fedorov chose to air his grievances in public on Thursday, confirming in a briefing on camera that he had asked Mr Zelenskyy to ditch the general.
When the president declined, Mr Fedorov said he had tried to work with the officer but “we’ve run into the fact that all the initiatives we propose have started getting blocked”.
He then accused Mr Syrskyi of putting self-interest ahead of the national interest.
“He’s willing to go to meetings in person, weave intrigues, and assume that someone has commissioned some kind of media campaign, rather than acknowledging that the problem lies in the actions that are actually taking place.”
The general called for his dismissal, Mr Fedorov said.
“Instead of figuring out how to defeat Russia, which is the commander-in-chief’s job, he figured out how to divide the country where we find ourselves today. And that’s a major problem,” he said.
For his part, Mr Syrskyi responded with a relatively brief post on social media, thanking Mr Fedorov for his time as defence minister and wishing that he stayed “in the team of Ukraine”.
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The public row is hugely destabilising for Mr Zelenskyy as he tries to reshuffle his government and hold off Moscow’s powerful military.
It is unclear who will replace Mr Fedorov – or whether the president may be forced into a U-turn because of the backlash.
On Thursday, Mr Zelenskyy said he was appointing Major General Yevhenii Khamra, the acting head of the SBU security service, as the acting defence minister.
But the ministry must be headed by a civilian.
Parliament will need to vote on any appointment and that will not now happen until after the summer recess. MPs are due to meet again on 18 August.
