Syrsky Reveals Rift With Fedorov Over Drone Procurement: 'He Thought He Knew Better'

Former Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrsky spoke publicly about his falling-out with then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in an interview with BBC News Ukraine, revealing that the core disagreement was about drone procurement priorities.

The Drone Procurement Dispute

"The problem was that the defense minister was procuring certain types of weapons, primarily drones, and was prioritizing certain types of these drones, ignoring the army's needs that were submitted by the General Staff," Syrsky said. This resulted in a "serious imbalance between procurement and the actual needs" of the armed forces.

Syrsky's Assessment

"He thought he knew better about what kinds of drones the army needs," Syrsky said of Fedorov. Syrsky emphasized that the General Staff had formally submitted procurement requirements that were not being met, creating a gap between what was being bought and what was actually needed on the battlefield.

Context

Syrsky was replaced as Commander-in-Chief in early 2025 after serving in the role during a critical period of the war. Fedorov, who also served as Minister of Digital Transformation, was involved in building Ukraine's drone industry. The public airing of their dispute reveals tensions that existed at the highest levels of Ukraine's military-civilian leadership during the war.