Ukraine’s ex‑defense minister Mikhail Fedorov says he was dismissed over procurement reforms

Former Ukrainian defence minister Mikhail Fedorov claims his removal after a six‑month tenure was driven by his attempts to overhaul military procurement and curb entrenched interests within the ministry. He said the reforms "restarted many internal processes" and provoked strong backlash from private companies, law‑enforcement agencies and department heads he accused of being appointed by those firms. President Volodymyr Zelensky cited tensions with commander‑in‑chief Aleksandr Syrsky and, according to media reports, disagreements over the reform agenda when he dismissed Fedorov in a sweeping government reshuffle. Fedorov, who had previously led Ukraine’s digital‑transformation ministry and deepened cooperation with U.S. data‑mining firm Palantir, alleged that powerful interest groups resisted his push for transparency and NATO‑aligned standards. The dismissal highlights ongoing challenges to anti‑corruption and defence‑sector reforms amid Ukraine’s war effort.