Zelensky details rift with Ukraines dismissed Defense Minister Fedorov

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he believes actions taken by dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, including his involvement in mass protests and calls for an election, were misguided, as he publicly detailed their dispute for the first time.Zelensky also alluded to problematic decisions over defense spending and said that inaccurate information provided by the Defense Ministry contributed to an awkward encounter with US President Donald Trump over the use of Starlink in Russia.Zelensky disclosed figures showing Ukraine’s growing shortage of Patriot air-defense missiles needed to counter Russian ballistic attacks, with deliveries from Western allies declining in the past three years even as Russian missile strikes intensified.He highlighted battlefield gains, however, saying Ukrainian forces have almost completely recaptured the Dnipropetrovsk region, with only about around 4 square miles remaining under Russian control.The Ukrainian president made the remarks during a two-hour off-the-record meeting with reporters on Saturday, with a transcript released publicly on Sunday.His comments ranged widely, covering the latest battlefield developments, efforts to counter Russian ballistic attacks, the state of peace negotiations, Ukraine’s budgetary challenges and the political turmoil surrounding Fedorov’s dismissal.“I really had and still have a very positive attitude toward Mykhailo.We have been through a lot together.

But I believe that he himself goes, or is pushed, into the wrong things,” he said.Fedorov, a popular minister credited with modernizing Ukraine’s armed forces and accelerating the military’s embrace of technology and drone warfare, was dismissed last month after reportedly falling out with the country’s top military commander.His removal triggered mass protests that lasted for weeks, but ultimately failed to force a reversal of the decision.

Fedorov later called for an election.Zelensky said that he had of...