Military chief Syrskyi responds to defence minister's criticism, saying he hopes Fedorov will "stay in team Ukraine"

Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, has responded to criticism aimed at him by acting Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov during a briefing on the situation in the Armed Forces. Syrskyi recalled the Kyiv defensive operation of 2022 and said he hopes Fedorov will remain on Ukraine's team.

Source: Syrskyi on social media

Quote from Syrskyi: "I am proud that thanks to the Kyiv defence operation in 2022, we were able to defend our capital. Today, that same city can host briefings, shape visions and make decisions."

Details: The commander-in-chief promised to make every effort to ensure such work can continue in a free and independent Ukraine.

Quote from Syrskyi: "To achieve this, we must remain focused on the war and on an effective strategy that is already producing tangible results.

I would like to thank Mykhailo Fedorov for his work as Ukraine's defence minister. I wish him continued success as part of Ukraine's team. Onward together to victory!"

More details: Fedorov had earlier criticised Syrskyi, saying that all the initiatives proposed by the Defence Ministry had started being blocked.

Quote from Fedorov: "Syrskyi is not willing to discuss problems face to face. He is willing to attend meetings in person, to engage in intrigues and to assume that someone ordered a media campaign against him, rather than acknowledge that the problem lies in what is actually happening. This ultimately led to a situation in which, in effect, he issued an ultimatum."

More details: According to Fedorov, "instead of figuring out how to defeat Russia asymmetrically, he figured out how to split the country".

Fedorov also said he identified 11 major problems in the management of the defence forces and the system of power when he joined Ukraine's Defence Ministry six months ago.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, commenting on the planned changes at the Defence Ministry, has acknowledged that Mykhailo Fedorov and Oleksandr Syrskyi have been unable to work together effectively and that problems on the battlefield, in military brigades and with mobilisation remain unresolved.

Previously: Protests in support of acting Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov are taking place near the President's Office in Kyiv and in a number of Ukrainian cities. The protesters are calling on the authorities to reinstate Fedorov in the new government and not to hand the defence minister post over to Ihor Klymenko.

Background:

• On 14 July, the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) approved Yuliia Svyrydenko's resignation as prime minister, a decision which entails the resignation of the entire government.
• According to Ukrainska Pravda sources, the authorities planned to form the new government on 15 July. The parliament is expected to vote on the new Cabinet on 16 July.
• Ukrainska Pravda sources in the Servant of the People faction said Zelenskyy would not be putting Fedorov forward for the post of defence minister as part of the government reshuffle and that current acting Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko could become the new defence minister.
• Sources in the faction also said Fedorov remains on the president's team, "but what he will do next will become clearer next week".
• On 15 July, Fedorov summed up his tenure, outlined what he had not managed to accomplish and said he will continue his mission to "defeat the enemy through asymmetry, the speed of innovation and the power of organisation".

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