Ukraine Retakes All But 10 km² of Dnipropetrovsk as Defense Rift Deepens

For defense and space professionals, the Fedorov dismissal is not just Kyiv politics—it is a leadership shock inside the ministry that drove Ukraine's drone and defense-tech modernization. Zelenskyy's disclosure of inaccurate defense data on Starlink use in Russia sharpens a direct operational and diplomatic risk for commercial satellite communications in conflict, while the three-year slide in Patriot deliveries reveals a strategic air-defense supply problem that no amount of battlefield recapture can paper over.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly detailed his rift with dismissed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov for the first time, telling reporters in a two-hour off-the-record meeting that he still has a positive attitude toward Fedorov but believes the minister "goes, or is pushed, into the wrong things." The transcript, released on Aug. 23, 2026, described Fedorov's involvement in mass protests and calls for an election, disputed defense spending decisions, and inaccurate Defense Ministry information that Zelenskyy said contributed to an awkward encounter with U.S. President Donald Trump over the use of Starlink in Russia. The remarks were unusually candid and ranged across battlefield developments, air-defense shortfalls, peace negotiations, budget pressures, and the political turmoil triggered by Fedorov's removal.

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President Donald Trump over the use of Starlink in Russia.

Fedorov was dismissed last month after reportedly falling out with Ukraine's top military commander. He had been one of the most visible architects of Ukraine's defense-technology modernization, credited with accelerating drone warfare and embedding commercial technology into military operations. His removal triggered weeks of mass protests that failed to reverse the decision, and Fedorov later called for an election. Zelenskyy's decision to publicly frame Fedorov's actions as misguided—while still praising him personally—suggests an effort to justify a politically costly dismissal without alienating the reformist and tech-savvy constituency that saw Fedorov as an effective innovator. The protests and election rhetoric reveal a domestic political strain that could complicate wartime unity, especially as Ukraine faces simultaneous military, financial, and diplomatic pressures.

On the battlefield, Zelenskyy offered a concrete marker of progress: Ukrainian forces have almost completely recaptured the Dnipropetrovsk region, with only about 10 square kilometers remaining under Russian control. That claim, if verified, would represent a significant territorial milestone. But the positive territorial news was offset by a stark warning on air defense. Zelenskyy disclosed figures showing Ukraine's growing shortage of Patriot air-defense missiles, noting that deliveries from Western allies have declined over the past three years even as Russian ballistic missile strikes intensified. Patriots are among the most capable interceptors available to Ukraine for countering Russian ballistic missiles, and a delivery decline of three consecutive years creates a widening vulnerability for cities, infrastructure, and command centers.