Syrsky accused Fedorov of causing problems with the supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
An acute shortage of weapons and robotic systems in the Armed Forces of Ukraine sparked a public conflict between the senior military leadership and led to personnel changes at the Ministry of Defense.
Former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi stated that in the first half of 2026, the Ukrainian army was provided with only 15–20% of the resources actually needed on the front lines. According to him, this situation affected various areas of supply, including ammunition, ground-based robotic systems, and other equipment.
According to Syrskyi, the shortage did not pertain to any single type of weaponry or equipment. An acute shortage was felt across key supply areas—from ammunition to vehicles.
The former commander-in-chief made a special point of addressing ground-based robotic systems. He noted that in the first half of the year, particularly serious problems arose with their supply, despite the important role these systems play in frontline logistics.
Syrsky emphasized that the shortage of resources directly affected the execution of combat missions and the ability to carry out planned military operations.
“Of course, this created problems. The problems were as follows: a campaign plan was approved for the 26th year. A series of operations was planned, some of which were mandatory. Others were to be carried out depending on the situation that might arise. Of course, carrying out all these plans came at a cost—primarily in human lives. This was especially true when the problems with the NRK were at their most critical during the first period, in the first half of the year,” Syrskyi stated.
According to him, the combat zone at the front stretched about 30 kilometers, and approximately 60% of logistical tasks were carried out using ground-based robotic platforms. Their use made it possible to reduce the number of people working in dangerous areas.
Thus, the shortage of robotic platforms, which Syrsky mentioned, did not concern only the combat use of robotic platforms. It also affected the delivery of necessary resources to the units.
When Syrskyi was asked during the discussion why this supply situation had arisen, he blamed the then-Minister of Defense, Mykhailo Fedorov, for the issue. It was Fedorov who headed the Ministry of Defense in the first half of 2026.
At the same time, it does not follow from Syrskyi’s remarks that he identified a single specific cause for the shortage. He spoke about supply issues in the context of military operations planned for 2026, personnel losses, and a shortage of ammunition.
What Fedorov Said Earlier
The issue of supply problems had already been raised during Mykhailo Fedorov’s tenure as defense minister.
In May, it was reported that by early 2026, the situation regarding the procurement of small arms had become more complicated, particularly due to changes in tax legislation. At that time, Fedorov stated that the Ministry of Defense was working on a comprehensive solution to the problem. At the same time, the ministry reported that contracts for NRK had been signed and that it planned to procure 25,000 such systems in the first half of the year.
In July, Fedorov—after he had already been dismissed—also spoke publicly about disagreements with Syrskyi. He stated that some of the Ministry of Defense’s initiatives had been blocked and that the commander-in-chief, in his words, was not ready to openly discuss the problems.
At that time, Fedorov also stated that he could not envision victory in the war given the system of interaction that had developed between the Ministry of Defense and the military command.
What Is Known About the Conflict Between Syrskyi and Fedorov
Disagreements between former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi came to light in July 2026. The main cause of this tension was significant disagreements regarding the supply of the front lines and the implementation of new technologies.
He made this statement on September 23 during a discussion organized by LB.ua and EFI Group.
We previously reported that Fedorov accused Syrsky of blocking the Ministry of Defense’s initiatives.
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 was not focused on building his own political career.
Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force Pavlo Yelizarov announced that he had submitted his resignation.
Mykhailo Fedorov, summarizing his work as defense minister, reported that a successful test of a Ukrainian ballistic missile took place on July 14.
Following his decision to resign, Mykhailo Fedorov issued his first statement, in which he summarized his work and identified the tasks that had not been fully accomplished.
