President Volodymyr Zelensky's remarks were made during a two-hour meeting with reporters on 22/8 and fully published a day later. The Ukrainian president suggested that some actions by former defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, including participating in large-scale protests and calling for elections, may have been miscalculations.

Fedorov, dubbed the "drone chief" for advancing the modernization of Ukraine's armed forces and integrating unmanned aerial vehicles into the conflict, was dismissed last month following disagreements with former commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky. Zelensky's recent revelations indicate the discord extended beyond these two figures.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on 19/6. *Photo: AP*

False information regarding Starlink

President Zelensky disclosed that information originating from Fedorov's agency once placed him in an awkward position before US President Donald Trump, at a time when Ukraine was actively lobbying for military support from the US.

Earlier this year, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense reported that SpaceX had agreed to allow the country to use starlink signals over Russian airspace for deep strike operations, contingent on political approval.

Based on this information, Zelensky directly discussed the matter with President Trump, stating that billionaire Elon Musk had confirmed the proposal. Both sides then sought to reconfirm the information with Musk and discussed project funding.

However, in a later meeting, President Trump informed President Zelensky that Musk had rejected the proposal to use starlink over Russian territory for military operations.

The US billionaire also accused the Ukrainian president of providing false information, causing a misunderstanding among the parties. Musk, in fact, considered using starlink for deep strikes into Russian territory a dangerous escalation.

"He said I had deceived him because Musk refused to allow Ukraine to use starlink signals over Russian territory. I returned to question the Ministry of Defense, and they admitted the information might be incorrect," President Zelensky recounted.

The Ukrainian president did not directly accuse Fedorov of dishonesty but stated that the incident was among the reasons for recent "personnel decisions".

Former Ukrainian defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov speaks in Kyiv on 16/7. *Photo: AP*

Ambition to establish a Ministry of War

Zelensky also disclosed a bold idea from former minister Fedorov, potentially the origin of irreconcilable disagreements between him and general Syrsky: establishing a Ministry of War where military command would fall under the minister.

"I called him immediately and said: a ministry of war? Where there is no commander-in-chief or chief of general staff, so essentially all power belongs to you? Forget that idea," Zelensky recounted.

He stated that Fedorov initially conceded but later covertly sought to implement changes towards his desired model. Commander-in-chief Syrsky responded by establishing complex bureaucratic procedures to obstruct him.

The conflict eventually became so severe that the two no longer communicated directly. Two weeks before the dismissal decision, Zelensky requested they meet to resolve their disagreements, but neither complied.

"There cannot be conflicts at this level among leaders," Zelensky stated, arguing that in a country at war, the defense minister and the commander-in-chief cannot operate independently.

The Ukrainian president affirmed his gratitude for the contributions of both Fedorov and Syrsky. He also stated that he had offered Fedorov four other government positions after his departure from the Ministry of Defense. However, Fedorov declined all offers, insisting he would only return to government as defense minister.

By Thanh Danh (Kyiv Independent, AP)