Zelensky details rift with ousted Ukraine Defense Minister Fedorov

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publicly detailed his dispute with dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for the first time, saying he believes the former minister was drawn into “wrong” decisions, including calls for elections and involvement in mass protests against his removal.

Speaking to reporters at a two-hour meeting on Saturday, the transcript of which was released Sunday, Zelensky said he still had a positive view of Fedorov but believed his actions after the dismissal were misguided. He said he had offered Fedorov four options to remain in government, but the former minister rejected them.

Zelensky also strongly opposed holding elections while the war with Russia continues, warning that a vote could become a “tsunami” that would divide Ukraine. He said Ukraine’s international partners had not presented a workable plan for conducting a safe and democratic election during wartime.

The Ukrainian president also linked inaccurate information from the Defense Ministry to an awkward exchange with US President Donald Trump over the use of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network for operations inside Russia.

According to Zelensky, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry had told him that SpaceX had agreed to allow Starlink to be used over Russian territory for deep-strike operations, subject to political approval. Zelensky said he later discussed the matter with Trump, believing that Elon Musk had approved the proposal. Musk subsequently rejected the plan, according to Zelensky, prompting Trump to accuse him of providing misleading information.

Zelensky did not directly accuse Fedorov of lying but said the episode was among the factors behind “some of the steps” taken against the former minister.

He also defended former army chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi and current Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Yevhen Khmara from protesters’ harsh criticism, saying the military should not be vilified, particularly during wartime.

Defense Budget Under Pressure

Zelensky said Ukraine’s Defense Ministry is facing a $27 billion funding gap after spending decisions earlier this year brought forward money originally intended for the second half of 2026.

He also addressed a corruption investigation that resulted in the firing of a senior presidential official. Zelensky said anti-corruption authorities had no concerns about his involvement in the case.

Despite the financial pressure, Zelensky expressed optimism over developments on the battlefield. He said Ukrainian forces had almost completely retaken the Dnipropetrovsk region, with only about 10 square kilometers remaining under Russian control.

He said Ukraine had also regained about 820 square kilometers of territory this year, compared with roughly 990 square kilometers seized by Russian forces. Zelensky predicted that Ukraine could reach parity between territory lost and territory retaken by the end of the year.

He said Russia’s main military objective remained the Konstantynivka-Sloviansk-Kramatorsk axis and that Moscow continued to demand Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donbas as part of any potential peace settlement.

Patriot Missile Shortage Deepens

Zelensky warned that Ukraine is receiving significantly fewer Patriot interceptor missiles even as Russian ballistic missile attacks intensify.

He said Ukraine received 675 Patriot missiles in 2023, compared with 364 in 2025, with only 264 expected this year. Kyiv wants to secure another 300 missiles before winter, while Ukraine’s air force has requested 360.

Zelensky said limited Western production capacity was making it difficult to meet Ukraine’s needs. He also said Kyiv hoped to obtain as much as 5% to 10% of US missile reserves and was prepared to pay for them.

According to Zelensky, Russia could eventually produce as many as 1,300 ballistic missiles annually, compared with an estimated current production capacity of about 600.

Ukraine is also preparing alternatives to Starlink, including a European communications project, as Russia and China develop competing satellite communications systems.

Drone Attacks and Regional Developments

Russian authorities said debris from a Ukrainian drone struck two industrial facilities in the Orenburg region, including a warehouse belonging to online retailer Ozon.

In Russia’s Belgorod region, Ukrainian drone attacks killed one person and injured six others, while another woman was killed in a drone attack in the Tula region.

In Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, two women were killed and five others wounded after a Russian drone struck an electric train, according to Ukrainian police.

Meanwhile, leaders from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway arrived in Kyiv on Sunday ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day. The visit was intended to demonstrate continued support from some of Ukraine’s closest European allies.

The leaders attended a flag-raising ceremony for Ukraine’s National Flag Day and were scheduled to hold bilateral and multilateral talks with Zelensky as Kyiv prepared for a broader meeting of the “coalition of the willing.”