Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has offered his most detailed explanation yet for the dismissal of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, saying disagreements over wartime policies and defense management played a key role in the decision.

Zelenskyy said he still held a positive personal view of Fedorov despite their differences.

"I had a very positive attitude toward Mykhailo, and I still do. We have been through a lot together," Zelenskyy said, adding that he believed the former minister had either made mistakes on certain issues or had been influenced in the wrong direction.

Fedorov's dismissal sparked weeks of demonstrations across Ukraine, with supporters criticizing the government's decision. The former minister, widely credited with advancing the military's use of technology and unmanned systems, later called for national elections despite the ongoing war.

Zelenskyy said he had offered Fedorov four different positions within the government after his dismissal, but all of them were rejected.

Starlink dispute and defense management

The Ukrainian president also linked the controversy surrounding Starlink satellite communications to broader concerns over the reliability of information provided by the Defense Ministry.

According to Zelenskyy, he was informed that SpaceX might allow Starlink services to operate over Russian territory in support of Ukraine's long-range operations. He said he later discussed the matter directly with U.S. President Donald Trump before learning that SpaceX chief Elon Musk opposed such use.

Zelenskyy said he subsequently asked the Defense Ministry to verify the information and was later told that the original assessment may have been incorrect.

Although he stopped short of accusing Fedorov of deliberately providing false information, Zelenskyy indicated that the Starlink episode became one of the factors behind the leadership change within the ministry.

Budget pressures and air defense concerns

Zelenskyy also acknowledged growing financial pressure on Ukraine's defense sector, saying spending decisions taken during the first half of the year had contributed to a budget shortfall of about $27 billion.

He said resources initially allocated for the second half of the year had already been spent, placing additional strain on defense planning.

The president also warned of declining stocks of Patriot air defense missiles, saying Ukraine had received 675 interceptors in 2023, compared with 364 in 2025, and expected around 264 this year.

According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine hopes to secure an additional 300 Patriot missiles before winter, while the country's Air Force has requested 360.

Battlefield assessment

On the battlefield, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had regained control over nearly all of the Dnipropetrovsk region, while Russian forces continued to hold approximately 10 square kilometers of territory there.

He also said Russia had captured around 990 square kilometers since the beginning of the year, while Ukrainian forces had recaptured about 820 square kilometers, expressing hope that the balance could narrow further before the end of the year.

Elections remain a divisive issue

Zelenskyy argued that holding elections while the war continues would pose serious risks to national unity, saying no practical mechanism currently exists to organize a secure, legitimate and democratic vote under wartime conditions.

Fedorov's calls for elections, however, have reignited debate over Ukraine's political future and the timing of a return to normal democratic processes.

The president also revealed that Ukraine is working on a European alternative to the Starlink satellite communications network as part of efforts to strengthen strategic resilience.

Zelenskyy's remarks suggest that the dispute surrounding Fedorov extends beyond a personnel change, encompassing wartime governance, defense spending, military technology, communications infrastructure and the broader political debate over elections during the conflict.(ILKHA)