Zelenskyy Details Rift With Dismissed Defense Minister as Ukraine Faces Pressure on Multiple Fronts

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly detailed his growing disagreement with former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, revealing tensions inside Kyiv's leadership as the war with Russia continues and pressure mounts over Ukraine's military finances, air defence and political future.

Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said he still had a “very positive attitude” towards Fedorov but believed the former minister had been drawn into what he described as the “wrong things”. Fedorov, who was dismissed last month, had been credited with helping modernise Ukraine's armed forces and accelerating the use of drones and technology on the battlefield.

The dispute has become increasingly political. Following his removal, Fedorov became involved in protests and called for elections, a position Zelenskyy strongly rejected while the country remains at war.

Zelenskyy warned that holding elections now could create enormous risks for Ukraine, arguing that a national vote during wartime could deepen divisions and potentially “split Ukraine apart”. He said no international partner had yet provided a workable plan for holding an election that would be safe, legitimate and democratic under current conditions.

The president also linked the controversy surrounding Fedorov to an uncomfortable dispute involving Starlink and Elon Musk. Zelenskyy said information supplied by Ukraine's Defense Ministry led him to believe that SpaceX had agreed to allow Ukraine to use Starlink over Russian territory for deep-strike operations, subject to political approval.

He said he subsequently raised the matter with U.S. President Donald Trump, only for the proposal to be disputed when Musk was consulted. Zelenskyy said the episode contributed to an awkward exchange with Trump and was among the factors behind subsequent decisions within the Ukrainian government.

Zelenskyy stopped short of directly accusing Fedorov of deliberately providing false information, but said the incident demonstrated serious problems with information reaching the country's leadership.

Ukraine faces a growing air-defence challenge

Alongside the political dispute, Zelenskyy used the meeting to highlight the increasingly difficult military situation facing Ukraine.

He said deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles have fallen significantly over recent years, even as Russian ballistic missile attacks have intensified.

According to figures provided by Zelenskyy, Ukraine received 675 Patriot missiles in 2023, compared with 364 in 2025, while approximately 264 are expected this year. Kyiv wants hundreds more ahead of the winter months as it prepares for further Russian attacks on critical infrastructure and cities.

The president said Ukraine is seeking an additional 300 Patriot missiles and has indicated that it is prepared to pay for access to U.S. reserves.

The shortage is particularly significant because Patriot systems are among the most capable weapons available to Ukraine for defending against Russian ballistic missiles.

Zelenskyy also claimed Russia could eventually produce as many as 1,300 ballistic missiles annually, substantially increasing the potential pressure on Ukrainian air defences.

Zelenskyy points to battlefield gains

Despite the difficulties, the Ukrainian president struck an optimistic tone when discussing the battlefield.

He said Ukrainian forces had almost completely regained control of the Dnipropetrovsk region, with only around 10 square kilometres remaining under Russian control.

Zelenskyy also claimed Ukraine had retaken roughly 820 square kilometres since the start of the year, compared with around 990 square kilometres seized by Russia.

He predicted that Ukraine could potentially reach a position of territorial parity by the end of the year if the current battlefield trends continue.

However, he acknowledged that Russia continues to focus heavily on the Donbas and that Moscow's demands for Ukraine to withdraw from the region remain a major obstacle to any potential peace settlement.

War continues to spill across the border

The conflict also continued to affect areas inside Russia.

Russian authorities reported Ukrainian drone attacks in the Belgorod and Tula regions, with deaths and injuries reported. Debris from a Ukrainian drone also struck industrial facilities in Russia's Orenburg region, including a warehouse connected to online retailer Ozon.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian infrastructure, oil facilities and logistics networks in an attempt to put pressure on the Russian economy and disrupt Moscow's ability to sustain the war.

At the same time, Russian attacks continue across Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities reported that two women were killed and several others injured after a Russian drone struck an electric train in the Kharkiv region.

Nordic and Baltic leaders arrive in Kyiv

The political developments came as leaders from several Nordic and Baltic countries travelled to Kyiv ahead of Ukraine's Independence Day.

Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway were represented during a flag-raising ceremony marking Ukraine's National Flag Day.

Their visit provided a visible demonstration of continued European support for Ukraine at a critical moment in the war.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the leaders would hold bilateral and multilateral discussions with Zelenskyy, with wider talks involving the “coalition of the willing” expected to follow.

For Zelenskyy, the gathering offers an opportunity to demonstrate that Ukraine continues to have strong European backing even as questions remain over weapons supplies, the country's finances and the increasingly difficult political debate surrounding its wartime leadership.

The dispute with Fedorov adds another layer of uncertainty. While Zelenskyy insists that elections cannot safely take place during the current conflict, calls for a political vote are likely to remain part of the debate as Ukraine looks beyond the immediate battlefield.

For now, the president is attempting to balance three increasingly difficult challenges: maintaining military resistance against Russia, securing enough Western support to protect Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, and keeping political disagreements inside Kyiv from becoming another source of instability.