Zelenskyy Details Rift With Dismissed Minister Fedorov
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- Zelenskyy publicly detailed his rift with dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for the first time, calling Fedorov's involvement in mass protests and calls for elections misguided, saying he 'goes, or is pushed, into the wrong things.'
- Zelenskyy said the Defense Ministry provided inaccurate information that led him to tell Trump SpaceX had approved Ukraine's use of Starlink over Russian territory — a claim Musk later denied, prompting Trump to accuse Zelenskyy of deception.
- Ukraine received 675 Patriot interceptor missiles in 2023, but deliveries are projected to drop to 264 in 2026, Zelenskyy disclosed, even as Russian ballistic attacks have intensified and Russia could scale production to 1,300 missiles per year from an estimated 600 now.
- Zelenskyy said he offered Fedorov four different government roles to stay on, all of which Fedorov rejected, and pushed back against protesters' 'Syrskyi is the devil, Khmara is the devil' slogans as disrespectful to the military.
- Ukrainian forces have nearly recaptured the Dnipropetrovsk region, with only about 10 square kilometers and three small villages remaining under Russian control, Zelenskyy said, projecting territorial parity with Russia by the end of 2026.
- Ukraine's Defense Ministry faces a $27 billion budget shortfall after spending decisions earlier this year brought forward funds originally intended for the second half of 2026.
Why it matters: Ukraine is fighting with shrinking resources: Patriot deliveries are projected to fall from 675 in 2023 to 264 in 2026, the Defense Ministry faces a $27 billion shortfall, and Zelenskyy is airing internal political disputes publicly during wartime. The Starlink episode reveals friction with Trump at a moment when Ukraine can least afford it.
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