Ukraine’s defense minister launches blistering attack on army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi: “We must lose drones, not soldiers”

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has accused army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi of blocking military reforms and refusing to publicly acknowledge problems within the armed forces, escalating tensions at the top of the wartime military establishment.

Speaking at a news conference in Kyiv on July 16, Fedorov said cooperation with the army’s commander-in-chief had become impossible after key initiatives proposed by the Defense Ministry were repeatedly blocked. He rejected the claim that he had demanded President Volodymyr Zelenskyy choose between him and Syrskyi, but said changes were needed in the military leadership.

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If we want to defeat the asymmetric enemy, with minimal losses, we must change the commander-in-chief and the Chief of the General Staff.

“If we want to defeat the asymmetric enemy, with minimal losses, we must change the commander-in-chief and the Chief of the General Staff,” Fedorov said, referring to Syrskyi and Andrii Hnatov. He accused the commander-in-chief of issuing an ultimatum instead of addressing how Ukraine could defeat Russia through asymmetric warfare. Fedorov said this had led to efforts to divide the country rather than solve military problems.

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Syrskyi saved the country in 2022.

Fedorov said he had initially accepted Zelenskyy’s decision not to dismiss Syrskyi and had tried to learn how to work with him. He also acknowledged Syrskyi’s record in 2022, saying he had helped save the country by leading operations around Kyiv, Kharkiv and Kherson. “We cannot underestimate such a commander. But the war has changed completely,” Fedorov said, arguing that the conflict had become technological as the army’s command system evolved.

Fedorov, whose expected removal as defense minister requires parliamentary approval, said he remained convinced that Zelenskyy would listen to Ukrainians and correct the situation. He said the president faced pressure because many people came to him with problems linked to the ministry’s work, but insisted the two had not betrayed each other during their seven years working together.

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We cannot underestimate such a commander. But the war has changed completely.