The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskygave a wide-ranging interview to the British media Sky News, in which he commented on the large-scale personnel decisions in the defense sector.
In the last week, the country has been shaken by serious political reshuffles. Zelensky dismissed the Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) General Alexander Sirsky. The reason for the radical measure was a deepening personal and institutional conflict between the two leaders, which threatened the stability of the state. The tension escalated and led to mass street protests by young people in Kiev, demanding the return of the technological reformer Fedorov. You can read more about the events in the official report of Sky News (news.sky.com/story/sackings-drone-deal-and-a-long-war-volodymyr-zelenskyy-speaks-to-sky-news-13567240).
In front of the host Stuart Ramsay at the Mariinsky Palace, Zelensky was frank and declared: “I don't have time to talk“. The head of state explained that the lack of communication and the unwillingness of Fedorov and Sirsky to meet daily necessitated their simultaneous removal. He added that it was not his job to judge who was right. Although Fedorov was highly valued for the development of Ukraine's innovative long-range drone program, Zelensky stressed that the successes and deep strikes in Russia's rear were not the work of one person, but a joint effort of intelligence, secret services and fighters on the ground. According to the president, the focus ahead of the approaching winter should remain on the ordinary soldier in the trenches. "If you think that you can fight only with drones without soldiers, you will lose territories and cities," he was categorical. The appointments of the new Commander-in-Chief, Major General Mihailo Drapati and the Chief of the General Staff Major General Igor Skibyuk aim to quickly restore coordination between the units, reports the analytical material of Al Jazeera (aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/21/zelenskyy-replaces-ukraine-military-chief-after-protests).
In addition to the internal castlings, Zelensky outlined the critical situation with Ukraine's air defense. Russia is increasing the use of ballistic missiles, with 40 missiles launched over Kiev in one hour last week alone. The president acknowledged that Ukraine is experiencing an acute shortage of air defense missiles. The problem is deepening due to the US focus on the conflict in the Middle East. Zelensky announced that he is actively negotiating with the new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham to conclude a large-scale “drone deal“, which includes the construction of a large Ukrainian factory in the United Kingdom and the sharing of technological experience. The Ukrainian leader has confirmed he will travel to Washington next week for a key meeting with US President Donald Trump, where he will demand tougher sanctions against Russia and an acceleration of the licensed production of Patriot systems. The latest news on the course of hostilities is updated regularly on Sky News' live tracking platform