According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on August 23, dismissed Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in an interview that there are some questions that need urgent answers regarding corruption within the Ukrainian government.
Mihailo Fedorov interviewed by the BBC
During his tenure, Fedorov promoted the modernization of the Ukrainian armed forces and pioneered the use of unmanned aircraft in combat operations.
On July 15th, Zelenskyy suddenly fired Fedorov. One of the important reasons given by Zelenskyy was that Fedorov couldn’t effectively cooperate with the senior Ukrainian military officials, especially with General Serhski, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces. Fedorov refused to accept this arrangement and, after being dismissed, publicly disclosed the differences between them, accusing military leadership of hindering his reforms.
Fedorov is very popular in his country. According to Reuters, after his dismissal, thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets demanding that Seretsky be replaced and reinstated.
When asked if he missed his former role as defense minister, Fedorov replied, “I didn’t miss it.” He said that dealing with the war between Ukraine and Russia while pushing through reforms in the Ministry of Defense brought endless pressure.
Fiedorov told the BBC that a money laundering investigation announced last week raised many questions about whether Zelenskyy was aware of potential corruption within his inner circle.
Fedorov previously posted videos criticizing corruption in politics. On the same day, Ukrainian authorities announced that they were investigating several parliamentarians and banking officials for money laundering activities.
The National Anti-Corruption Agency of Ukraine stated that they have uncovered a case of misappropriation of over $3 million in Ukrainian currency. The funds involved were used to pay the bail for a former energy minister who was accused of money laundering.
A high-ranking official from Zelensky's office has been dismissed who is said to be involved in this case.
Fedorov said that this case forces one to question whether the president is aware of the potential corruption within his inner circle.
"This is something he should answer. ... I believe he has prepared himself to deal with such inquiries. It is his responsibility to inform the entire population whether or not he knows about all of this, and I don't want to make any subjective judgments."
The Ukrainian President's spokesman previously responded to an interview with the BBC by saying, "This former minister (Fedorov) has served in various governments since 2019. Yet he makes these statements as if the previous governments had nothing to do with him. This is puzzling. It is clear that during his tenure, he never made any tough statements on this matter."
Fedorov said that he had eliminated some corrupt elements from the defense procurement system. He also warned that corruption continues to hinder Ukraine’s combat capabilities on the front lines.
He stated that he has not been in contact with President Zelenskyy for ‘several weeks’. He also admitted that he does not have any evidence to prove that Zelenskyy himself has engaged in any corruption.
"During all the time I have shared with him in co-operating, he has never given me any instruction that violates legal regulations or my personal moral code. This is a firsthand experience of our collaboration."
Regarding the elections in Ukraine, Fedorov also reiterated that “democracy should not be subject to Putin’s control”. A few days ago, he released a video about the elections in Ukraine, but he has yet to publicly reveal his political ambitions.
Since the outbreak of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict in 2022, Ukraine has been under martial law, and elections have been suspended. Fedorov stated that initiating discussions regarding elections is his "moral right."
"We shouldn't be afraid of discussing this matter; that is the essence of democracy. If I cannot share my ideas and honest opinions with my own society, then what is the meaning of the struggle we engage in?"
He said if elections were never held, "then we would no longer be a democratic country."
In a video statement released earlier, Fedorov stated, "The public cannot always be in a state where they don't understand why certain decisions are made."
He deliberately avoided directly criticizing President Zelenskyy, and also refused to answer whether he would support Zelenskyy in the election.
Fedorov has served as Minister of Digital Transformation and Minister of Defense. It is believed that it was he who promoted innovation and created a “drone army” to replace some soldiers. This not only saved many lives on the battlefield, but also allowed Ukraine to strike military targets, oil refineries, and storage facilities in Russia thousands of kilometers away from long distances.
He stated that he will continue to study new combat methods and confirmed that he will visit the United States in the coming weeks, hoping to meet with Elon Musk.
Musk's Starlink satellite communication system has been a key enabler for Ukraine in gaining military advances. Fedorov hopes to persuade Musk to expand the coverage of this technology into Russian airspace, thereby providing assistance for Ukraine's attacks, while ensuring that Russia cannot benefit from it.
"World-class technology companies are all supporting us. They will invest their efforts in our victory and the end of this war. No matter what position I hold, I need to maintain communication with these companies. I have had many successful collaborations with them in the past. For my country, I must continue to maintain these connections."
Fedorov criticized the bureaucratic systems in Britain and other countries providing aid to Ukraine, arguing that bureaucratic practices caused delays in the delivery of weapons.
The UK has been a long-time supporter of Ukraine. Since the war began, it has invested 16 billion pounds (approximately 146.7 billion yuan) in providing weapons to Ukraine. Last week, there was news confirming that drones manufactured by the UK have been used to target Russian targets.
Fedorov expressed his gratitude for British aid, but attributed the delay in delivering equipment to "complex procedures and bureaucratic practices".
The actions of governments around the world cannot keep up with the realities on the front line. This is not just a problem in the UK; it’s also true for some other countries: they announce that they will provide assistance, but we won’t receive any supplies until the end of the year.
Fedorov calls for direct investment in supporting the production of a new generation of drones in Ukraine, rather than acquiring outdated equipment from other countries. “We no longer use tanks, so there is no need for maintenance of tanks anymore.”
He said that the timely delivery of supplies not only saved lives in Ukraine.
"Unfortunately, the casualties, bloodshed, and practical combat experience we have incurred are valuable for all of your countries. By providing us with assistance, you can obtain these precious practical experiences."
Fedorov denied that he has any plans to run for election at this time, but he did not rule out the possibility of running for president in the future.
All of this depends on how quickly we can restart the democratic election process; it depends on my personal energy, whether my team can stay together; and if I can answer these questions properly. It also depends on whether I'm fit to hold this position as President of the nation. The most important point is: do the people want me to tell them that they can trust me to handle this job well.
Although he has not announced his candidacy yet, Ukrainian and Western media have already started considering him as a potential presidential candidate.
According to a report by Ukrainian media "Ukraine News" on August 6, in a recent presidential poll conducted by the Social and Market Research Center (SOCIS), Zelenskyy ranked first with 22.3% among those who clearly indicated they would vote. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the current Ambassador of Ukraine to the UK and former Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, came in second with 21.4%. The recently dismissed Fedorov ranked third with 13.1%.
