Journalists name one of the main reasons for Fedorov’s dismissal, linked to company Fire Point

One of the main reasons for Mykhailo Fedorov’s dismissal as Ukraine’s minister of defense was a conflict over tenders for the production of long-range drones, in which a key role was played by the company Fire Point, which is close to the circle of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

This is reported by the outlet Ukrainska Pravda.

According to UP, Fire Point had expected to receive 80% of the total order for drones with a range of 250 kilometers or more, but ultimately received only 25%. This conflict over the distribution of defense contracts was, according to the outlet, one of the key factors that led to the minister’s resignation.

Fedorov, according to UP’s sources, warned his inner circle in advance about possible attempts to remove him from his post. According to one source, this warning came approximately three months before the resignation.

“Of course, Shtilerman (the company’s director, Denys Shtilerman. — Ed.) could have gone to complain to the president,” a source told the outlet.

Within Fedorov’s team, the head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, David Arakhamia, is also named as an active lobbyist for his dismissal. One representative of the Ministry of Defense described the scale of the financial interests behind the conflict:

“Weapons manufacturers were losing tens, sometimes hundreds of millions of dollars. If you find out who stands behind the largest manufacturers… There are no random people there. Almost everyone is connected to politics,” UP’s interlocutor stated.

Fedorov’s opponents, for their part, have leveled counter-accusations of corruption against him, claiming that in his role as minister he lobbied for the interests of a major drone manufacturer — businessman Konotopsky.