Drones, procurement and the struggle for influence: why Fedorov fell out with the generals

Ukraine’s Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorov in his first months on the job launched a number of changes in the military, but some of his initiatives provoked resistance among the military leadership. This, reports The Economist, citing unnamed interlocutors.

According to the publication, the tension openly manifested during one of the military meetings in early July. Generals criticized the minister over the supply of weapons, including missiles and ammunition. Fedorov replied that without the emergency purchases of drones made at the start of the year, the current operations of Ukraine, including in occupied Crimea, would have been impossible.

“Two different coordinate systems. There is no common language, even if refraining from direct conflict”, — so one of the witnesses described the dispute between the minister and the generals.

The Economist notes that Fedorov is trying to make the army more digital, change the procurement system and transfer approaches from the tech business to the defence sphere. According to the journalists, he initiated audits of the Ministry of Defence and military brigades, inspections of officials and the transfer of part of procurement to open tenders. At the same time some generals accuse the minister of lacking military experience, of “gamifying the war” and of repackaging existing initiatives into new projects. Meanwhile, the military leadership acknowledges improvements in drone procurement and digitalisation.

The publication also reports about “deep divisions” between Fedorov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi. According to The Economist’s sources, the minister allegedly appealed to President Volodymyr Zelensky with a proposal to dismiss Syrskyi, but did not receive support. This information has not been officially confirmed.

Earlier Fedorov and Syrskyi publicly denied the existence of a conflict. The minister acknowledged that they can “debate forcefully” over certain decisions, while the commander-in-chief spoke of periodic disagreements related to the distribution of powers between the Ministry of Defence and the General Staff.

Earlier, we wrote:

• First three months: Mykhailo Fedorov spoke about the Ministry of Defence’s “illnesses” and large-scale changes
• A home-made Mavic analogue, impressive figures and big promises from the new Minister of Defence Fedorov
• “Quick, once and for all”: the promises Mykhailo Fedorov brought when he took over the Ministry of Defence
• Air closure, mobilization problems and contracts: what tasks Zelensky assigned to Fedorov
• From June the Armed Forces reform begins: special contracts for infantry (250–400 thousand UAH) and phased demobilization
• The army faces new rules: what will change for those who have served since 2022
• The Cabinet will present the Rada with new Armed Forces contracts: pay will depend on position and duties