Fedorov was removed from office over deep-seated issues Zelenskyy did not disclose – Butusov
There are no grounds to believe that President Zelenskyy will change his mind about dismissing Fedorov.
Yurii Butusov, commander of a UAV company in the 23rd Assault Regiment of the Khartiia 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine, said this in an interview with journalist Iryna Romaliiska, Censor.NET reports.
Details
She recalled that before the Cabinet of Ministers, including Defence Minister Fedorov, was dismissed, the State Bureau of Investigation searched the premises of drone manufacturer Vyriy. Romaliiska therefore asked Butusov whether he believed the two events were connected.
"I think there is a certain connection between them. There are always rules of the game in the market, as well as influence. Vyriy makes popular drones that perform quite effectively. However, as far as I know, the Ministry of Defence recently approved a high-value tender for a large number of drones, a very large batch," he said.
According to Butusov, sources told him unofficially that the tender may have been tailored to certain manufacturers.
"I think the searches at Vyriy are connected to the fact that some of its competitors, which have strong lobbying connections within our law enforcement agencies, are using them, for example, to influence these tenders. They may be seeking either to change the tender terms or to split this enormous batch into several smaller lots that could be of interest to more market participants," he explained.
Butusov had expected the former defence minister to speak about this.
Fedorov’s role
In the view of the UAV company commander of the 23rd Assault Regiment of the Khartiia 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine, Mykhailo Fedorov has not decided who he wants to be.
"Whether he wants to be an independent politician charting his own course independently of the authorities; whether he wants to return to Zelenskyy’s team, but in some other capacity being offered to him; or whether he simply wants to attract attention and amplify the media impact of the ‘Bring Back Fedorov’ campaign now taking place, including in public squares across the country," Butusov noted.
He believes Fedorov has not clearly determined which path he will take.
"He is trying to keep public attention focused on this story while awaiting a decision from the president. It is clear from the interview that Fedorov hopes Zelenskyy may change his mind. I am not someone who believes in anything when it comes to politics. Politics is a material matter. For now, I would put it this way: I see no grounds for that (Zelenskyy changing his mind - Ed.).
"I understand that Fedorov was removed for certain deep-seated reasons that the Supreme Commander-in-Chief did not disclose. That is his style. In seven years, I have never seen him reconsider a decision, much less under public pressure," Butusov concluded.
