Syrsky responded for the first time to rumors of a conflict with Fedorov: “I’m fighting Russia, not the ministry”

He wrote about this in his column for “Military.”

According to Syrskyi, he and Fedorov had a professional relationship with differing views on certain issues, which is normal during wartime. He also apologized if he had offended anyone with his harshness and urged people not to turn the discussion into a confrontation between two individuals.

Syrskyi separately explained the division of powers between the General Staff and the Ministry of Defense. According to him, the Ministry of Defense is responsible for supplying the army, procurement, and policy, while war strategy, operational planning, and command of the troops fall under the jurisdiction of the General Staff.

He also rejected accusations of a reluctance to develop unmanned systems, noting that it was on his initiative that the Unmanned Systems Forces were established as a separate branch of the military, with Robert “Madyar” Brovdi appointed as their commander.

In addition, Syrsky stated that modern warfare cannot rely solely on drones, as successful operations also require artillery, air defense, electronic warfare capabilities, engineering support, and other components.

The Commander-in-Chief also raised the issues of personnel policy, mobilization, and military funding. He noted that the new contracts for service members have not yet yielded the expected results, and that redirecting a portion of the funds from military salaries toward the purchase of drones has created risks for timely payments.

At the end of his column, Syrskyi emphasized that his main task is the war, not participating in public debates.

As a reminder, rallies in Kyiv continue in support of Mykhailo Fedorov, who was removed from his post as defense minister in Serhiy Koretsky’s new government. Fedorov’s position in the government has been temporarily filled by Yevhen Khmara, the former acting head of the Security Service. One of the demands was also the dismissal of Syrskyi.

During a briefing, Fedorov confirmed that there were disagreements with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi. According to him, the president had offered him a position as an advisor on the team, but he declined.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also stated that Fedorov and Syrskyi were unable to reach a common position. At the same time, the nomination of a new head of the Ministry of Defense had not yet been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada.

See also: On July 16, protests began in Kyiv on the square near the Ivan Franko Theater, as well as in Lviv and other major cities across Ukraine.