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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly addressed the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for the first time, characterizing several of the minister’s decisions as fundamentally misguided during a Saturday meeting with reporters. Zelenskyy acknowledged his long working relationship with Fedorov while indicating that the former minister had pursued courses of action—including leading mass protests and calling for elections—that conflicted with the administration’s strategic direction.
The president attributed part of the personnel dispute to flawed intelligence from the Defense Ministry itself, specifically regarding negotiations with Elon Musk over Starlink usage in Russian territory. Zelenskyy said the Defense Ministry initially assured him that SpaceX had agreed to the arrangement, prompting him to discuss the proposal with U.S. President Donald Trump, only to learn later that Musk had rejected it, resulting in accusations that he had misled the American leader.
Zelenskyy disclosed that he had offered Fedorov four alternative government positions, all of which the former minister declined. The dismissal sparked weeks of public demonstrations demanding Fedorov’s reinstatement, though the protests ultimately failed to reverse the decision.
Ukraine faces a severe shortage of Patriot air-defense interceptors as Russian missile attacks intensify across the country. Deliveries have declined sharply over recent years, with Ukraine receiving 675 Patriot missiles in 2023, dropping to 364 in 2025 and projected to fall further to 264 in 2026, according to figures presented by Zelenskyy.
Despite budgetary constraints, Zelenskyy reported significant battlefield progress, noting that Ukrainian forces have nearly completed the recapture of Dnipropetrovsk region with approximately 10 square kilometers remaining under Russian control. He predicted that by the end of 2026, Ukraine could achieve territorial parity with Russian gains made since the beginning of the year.
The president also addressed a corruption investigation that resulted in the dismissal of a senior presidential aide, stating that anti-corruption authorities have cleared him of involvement in the money-laundering probe. Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of demonstrating that he remained personally uninvolved in the scandal.
Regarding peace negotiations, Zelenskyy reiterated that Russia continues to demand Ukrainian withdrawal from the Donbas region as a prerequisite for settlement discussions. Moscow’s military focus remains on the Konstantynivka-Sloviansk-Kramatorsk axis, he added.
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