Fedorov accused Syrsky of blocking the Defense Ministry's initiatives
Acting Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi had blocked the Defense Ministry’s initiatives and was unwilling to openly discuss existing problems.
According to Fedorov, the Ministry of Defense faced obstruction of the initiatives it proposed, and Syrskyi, instead of discussing the problems, allegedly “spun intrigues” and suggested that the criticism was part of a media campaign.
“We found that all the initiatives we proposed began to be blocked. And Syrskyi, despite all the problems we’ve discussed, is not willing to talk about them face-to-face. He is willing to attend meetings in person, spin intrigues, and assume that someone has commissioned a media campaign, rather than acknowledging that the problem lies in the actions taking place,” Fedorov stated.
At the same time, Fedorov reported that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told him he does not plan to replace Syrsky as commander-in-chief.
The former minister also emphasized that he acknowledges Syrsky’s contributions to the liberation of the Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions in 2022; however, in his view, modern warfare has changed fundamentally, and the military command system must adapt to new challenges and rapid technological advancements.
Separately, Fedorov addressed the issue of mobilization and the work of the territorial recruitment centers. He stated that responsibility for the activities of the territorial recruitment centers lies with the Army Command and the General Staff, and also noted that problems in this area require a systematic solution.
“For six months, I didn’t respond at all to the backlash over mobilization in order to prevent the situation that has arisen today—a situation to which the Commander-in-Chief has, in fact, led us. I don’t know who was behind this whole affair, but I didn’t want to shift the blame or avoid it. To whom do the Territorial Defense Forces report? To the Army. And to whom does the Army report? To the General Staff. In other words, this falls under the Commander-in-Chief’s area of responsibility,” Fedorov stated.
Fedorov made these remarks during a briefing on July 16, according to Suspilne.
As a reminder, Mykhailo Fedorov stated that for seven years he remained loyal to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s team and worked to implement shared ideas. According to him, he did not pursue his own political career.
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