Ukraine’s ousted Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said he pressed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to remove Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi, but Zelenskyy refused. Fedorov claims the Defense Ministry’s reform initiatives were repeatedly blocked and that Syrskyi was unwilling to confront problems directly. He accused Syrskyi of focusing on “splitting the country” rather than defeating Russia asymmetrically. Fedorov said he accepted Zelenskyy’s decision and tried working with Syrskyi, but an ultimatum effectively ended cooperation.