M. Fedorov, considered one of Ukraine’s most popular ministers, undertook large-scale modernization at the Ministry of Defense and paid much attention to the use of drones in war. Last month, he was dismissed from his position – the media reported that prior to this, the minister had clashed with the leadership of the Ukrainian army.
In an interview with the BBC, M. Fedorov stated that the money laundering investigation published last week raises questions for President Volodymyr Zelensky as well. According to him, it is necessary to clarify how much the country’s leader knew about possible corruption in his closest circle.
However, the former minister emphasized that he himself had never seen Zelensky involved in any corrupt activity.
“During the entire time I worked with him, I never received any task or instruction that would contradict the law or my own principles of integrity,” M. Fedorov told the BBC.
The former defense minister also reiterated the call to hold elections in Ukraine. A few days earlier, he had released a video urging consideration of the possibility of voting even during the war.
“Democracy should not become Vladimir Putin’s hostage,” he said, but avoided talking about his own political ambitions.
M. Fedorov’s dismissal initially sparked a wave of protests, but over time the number of demonstrators decreased. After the new minister was confirmed, the protests ended. His call to hold elections in Ukraine also did not receive broader support.
When asked if he missed the ministerial work, 35-year-old M. Fedorov answered briefly: “No.” According to him, leading the Ministry of Defense during Russia’s war against Ukraine and simultaneously carrying out systemic reforms meant constant enormous pressure.
Since February 2022, when Russia launched a large-scale invasion, martial law has been in effect in Ukraine. Because of this, presidential and parliamentary elections are not held in the country. Zelensky’s five-year presidential term formally ended in May 2024.
Fedorov said he has a “moral right” to start a public discussion about the possibility of elections.
“We should not be afraid to talk about it. That is the essence of democracy. If I cannot share my ideas and openly discuss them with my society, then what are we fighting for?” he said.
According to the former minister, if elections were not held in Ukraine at all, “then we would no longer be a democracy.”
In an earlier video, M. Fedorov said that “people cannot live endlessly in a state where they do not understand why certain decisions are made.”
However, he avoided directly criticizing Zelensky. When asked if he would support the current president in possible elections, M. Fedorov declined to answer.
In comments published on Sunday, Zelensky in turn said he believes organizing elections during the war would currently be too dangerous for Ukraine.
“I think that in such a war, elections themselves are a huge risk. Elections now would be a tsunami for the country that would split Ukraine,” the president said.
Experts also point to many practical obstacles to holding elections. Among them is the question of how soldiers at the front, millions of Ukrainians living abroad, and people from Russian-occupied territories would vote. In addition, there is a warning about the significant threat of Russian disinformation and interference in the election process.
M. Fedorov spoke publicly about political corruption a day before the announcement of the new money laundering investigation.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau reported uncovering a scheme in which funds worth more than 3 million US dollars in national currency may have been illegally appropriated and used to pay bail set for a former energy minister accused of money laundering.
A high-ranking official from Zelensky’s office, whose name is also mentioned in this investigation, was dismissed from his position.
M. Fedorov said questions arise about how much President Zelensky could have known about possible corruption in his closest circle.
“Let him answer this question himself. I think he is ready for such questions. It is his duty to explain to all of us whether he knew about all this or not. I do not want to make any assumptions,” said M. Fedorov.
Read more UTMA begins a new stage: approved weight categories and the first fighter rankings
Zelensky’s representative previously told the BBC that such a position from the former minister is surprising because M. Fedorov worked in all Ukrainian governments since 2019.
“It is strange that he talks as if these were some other governments in which he himself was not present. As everyone remembers, at that time we did not hear any harsh statements from him,” the president’s representative told the BBC.
M. Fedorov claimed that while leading the Ministry of Defense, he managed to remove some corrupt practices from the public procurement system. However, according to him, corruption remains a problem and directly harms Ukraine’s capabilities at the front.
The former minister also said he has not communicated with Zelensky for “a couple of weeks” and has no evidence that the president himself was personally involved in corruption.
“During the entire time I worked with him, I never received any task or instruction that would contradict the law or my principles of integrity. That is my personal experience working with him,” said M. Fedorov.
As defense minister, and earlier as minister of digital transformation, M. Fedorov became known as one of the main initiators of Ukraine’s military technology modernization. He is credited with developing the so-called “drone army,” which allowed some military tasks to be transferred to drones, reducing losses at the front and striking Russian military targets, oil refineries, and logistics centers thousands of kilometers from Ukraine’s border.
M. Fedorov said he will continue to seek to implement new war technology solutions. He also confirmed that he will travel to the US in the coming weeks, where he hopes to meet billionaire Elon Musk.
Musk’s company SpaceX’s satellite communication system Starlink has become extremely important for Ukraine both for communication at the front and military operations. M. Fedorov said he wants to convince Musk to expand this technology’s operation in Russian airspace so that it can assist Ukraine’s strikes but at the same time not be accessible to the Kremlin.
“The world’s best technology companies support us and will invest in our victory, in the end of this war. We must maintain contact with them regardless of my position. I have worked successfully with them before, so for my country I must keep these connections,” said M. Fedorov.
M. Fedorov criticized bureaucratic procedures in the United Kingdom and other countries supporting Ukraine, which, according to him, delay the delivery of weapons and other military aid.
The United Kingdom is one of the longest-standing supporters of Ukraine. Since the start of the large-scale war, it has allocated about 16 billion pounds sterling for weapons and other military aid. Last week it was also confirmed that British-made drones were used in strikes on Russian targets.
M. Fedorov emphasized he is grateful for British support but blamed “bureaucracy and excessive procedures” for delays in delivering promised equipment.
“Governments lag behind the reality at the front. This is not only a problem of the United Kingdom – a similar situation exists in other countries that announce support, but we do not receive it until the end of the year,” he said.
The former minister called for more funds to be directly allocated to the production of the latest Ukrainian drones rather than relying, in his opinion, on outdated equipment and capabilities of other countries.
“We do not need to repair tanks when tanks are almost no longer used,” said M. Fedorov.
According to him, faster delivery of weapons and equipment would help save not only Ukrainian lives.
“Unfortunately, our losses, our blood, and our military experience are useful to you all. For all the support you give us, you gain this experience,” he said.
M. Fedorov denied currently having specific political ambitions but did not rule out the possibility of seeking the presidency of Ukraine in the future.
“It all depends on how quickly the democratic election process can be restored, how much energy I will have, whether I can keep the team, and whether I can answer for myself whether I could perform the duties of president,” he said.
According to M. Fedorov, it would be even more important whether the voters themselves would express trust in him: “The most important thing is whether people would say: yes, we can entrust you with these duties.”
Read more Week’s weather: rain will gradually retreat, but not for long
