Zelenskyy details rift with dismissed defense minister, saying some of his actions were misguided - The Korea Times

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly detailed his rift with dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, saying some of his actions were misguided. He also said inaccurate Defense Ministry information contributed to an awkward exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump over Starlink. Zelenskyy discussed Ukraine’s Patriot missile shortage, defense budget pressure, and battlefield gains, saying Ukrainian forces have almost completely recaptured the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy looks on during his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026. AP-Yonhap

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he believes actions taken by dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, including his involvement in mass protests and calls for elections, were misguided, as he publicly detailed their dispute for the first time.

Zelenskyy also alluded to problematic decisions over defense spending and said inaccurate information provided by the Defense Ministry contributed to an awkward encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump over the use of Starlink in Russia.

Zelenskyy disclosed figures showing Ukraine’s growing shortage of Patriot air-defense missiles needed to counter Russian ballistic attacks, with deliveries from Western allies declining in the past three years even as Russian missile strikes intensified.