Mykhailo Fedorov named a possible reason for his dismissal: “We have affected the interests of many people”

Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said that one of the key reasons for his dismissal could be resistance to the reforms that his team initiated in the Ministry of Defense. First of all, according to him, these are changes in the field of defense procurement, tender procedures, and restructuring of the internal management system.

The former minister said this in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda.

According to Fedorov, it became obvious in the spring that tension was starting to grow around the activities of the Ministry of Defense.

“A lot of people surrounded the Ministry of Defense and me as a minister, because we started restructuring many different processes internally. And from what began to happen in the public space — a certain pressure, certain law enforcement agencies around our work — somewhere from the beginning of April it was clear that the temperature was rising. And that this would end in something,” he noted.

According to the former government official, the changes in the field of public procurement caused the greatest resistance.

Fedorov is convinced that the reform of the tender system has affected the interests of many individuals and companies that have been associated with defense contracts for years. This, according to him, is what caused the information pressure, a wave of criticism and attempts to discredit his team.

At the same time, the former minister emphasized that he did not set himself the goal of fighting against individual people or groups of influence.

“I did not fight against specific people. My goal was to change the system itself,” he explained.

Among the key areas of reform, Mykhailo Fedorov named the launch of transparent tender procedures, updating management processes in the Ministry of Defense, and forming a new team in accordance with the defined goals of reforming the department.

According to the former minister, he perceived constant pressure as a natural consequence of systemic changes and repeatedly warned the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy about a possible discrediting campaign due to the fact that the reforms affect the interests of influential groups.

In his opinion, this pressure increased with each passing month and eventually became one of the factors that preceded the change of government and his dismissal.

At the same time, Fedorov stated that he did not rule out his return to the Ministry of Defense.

“I do not need to be employed. But if I return to the government, taking into account the mission that I see, I still need a position that is functional. This is the Ministry of Defense. And I understand all the challenges that await us. I am definitely ready for this. If not, then there are other ways to achieve this vision,” the former minister said.

Thus, Mykhailo Fedorov for the first time publicly linked his dismissal with reforms in the field of defense procurement and declared his readiness to return to the leadership of the Ministry of Defense if the President of Ukraine makes a corresponding decision.