Corruption in government institutions prevents Ukraine from ending war from position of strength – Fedorov

Former Defence Minister and former First Deputy Prime Minister for Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov thanked all participants in the rallies demanding his reinstatement as defence minister and said that corrupt schemes continue to operate in the country, preventing Ukraine from ending the war on its own terms.

He said this in an interview with Channel 24, Censor.NET reports.

Thanks to protest participants

"I would like to thank all the people who took part in the protests, who supported change and who supported my return to the post of defence minister," Fedorov said.

According to him, he was previously unable to comment publicly on the situation because, as long as there was even the slightest possibility of returning to the post, he had to await developments alongside everyone who supported him, both at the protests and elsewhere. The former minister said he had told those who took to the streets that they would not regret their support.

On opposition to the government

Asked whether he was in opposition to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Fedorov replied that he was not opposed to any particular politician or party.

"I am definitely in opposition to the old system and to the corruption that exists… A great many people interpreted this as me launching some kind of campaign. But in fact… I spoke about certain principles and values and about the need to restore the democratic process. That is the key idea behind all of this," he explained.

On fighting corruption in the Defence Ministry

According to Fedorov, he fought corrupt schemes while working at the Ministry of Defence, but too many people in government institutions support them.

"Corruption actually prevents us from ending the war from a position of strength. Many people have built various schemes around their own interests, and they are essentially obstructing sound decision-making. I experienced this at the Ministry of Defence. I fought it, dismantled those schemes and put a stop to them. A great many law enforcement officers support them, as do many different people who devise these schemes," the former minister said.

He added that this was not about a single branch of government or project, but about a new social contract: finding people capable of making effective decisions to end the war, allowing them to work and subsequently assessing their performance through the democratic process.

On 18 August, former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov recorded an address to Ukrainians in which he said the country must find a mechanism for holding elections during the war.

Cabinet of Ministers reshuffle, Fedorov’s resignation and new Commander-in-Chief

On July 14, the Verkhovna Rada supported a resolution on the resignation of Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. The entire Cabinet of Ministers automatically resigned with her.
On July 15, Mykhailo Fedorov said that he was stepping down as head of the Defence Ministry.
Rallies in support of Mykhailo Fedorov took place in Dnipro, Rivne, Zaporizhzhia, Lutsk, Cherkasy and other cities. Protesters are demonstrating against his resignation.
On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada voted to appoint the new Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Serhii Koretskyi was appointed Prime Minister.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he would nominate Yevhen Khmara for the post of Minister of Defence of Ukraine. Prior to this, he had instructed Khmara to act as head of the Ministry of Defence.
Protests against Fedorov’s dismissal continued in Ukrainian cities. In addition to demanding that Fedorov be reinstated as Defence Minister, people called for the dismissal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
On 21 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi from his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He appointed General Mykhailo Drapatyi to the post instead.
On August 19, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Yevhenii Khmara as Defense Minister.