Pistorius expresses regret over Fedorov’s departure — RND sees implicit criticism of Zelensky

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius sent a personal letter to dismissed Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, expressing regret over his resignation.

According to RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), which has obtained the text of the letter, such a public reaction goes beyond Pistorius’s usual diplomatic practice and may be interpreted as indirect criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

In the letter, Pistorius thanked Fedorov for their cooperation, noting that under his involvement Germany and Ukraine had strengthened their strategic partnership, Berlin had significantly expanded its military support for Kyiv, and had drawn on the experience of the Ukrainian army.

“I very much regret that you will not continue your work,” the German minister wrote.

According to RND, Pistorius also contacted Fedorov personally. The outlet emphasizes that such a direct assessment of another government’s personnel decision is atypical for a German minister, since reshuffles in other countries’ governments are generally considered their internal affairs.

Fedorov became head of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry in January 2026, having moved from the post of minister of digital transformation. During his six months in the role, he oversaw the development of the drone program and the launch of accelerated defense contracts. EUobserver also credits him with disabling Starlink terminals used by Russian forces.

The day before his resignation, Fedorov joined representatives of the European Commission and the European Defence Agency in announcing the first European companies selected to supply weapons to Kyiv under the BraveTech EU program. Fedorov was considered one of the key figures behind the creation of this procurement mechanism. According to EUobserver, there are now doubts within the EU as to whether the existing tender system will survive his departure.

According to the Financial Times, Fedorov’s attempts to reform the defense procurement system and block major contracts with certain companies provoked discontent among parts of the political and military elite. Fedorov announced his resignation on July 15. According to The Economist, he had sought the dismissal of Armed Forces of Ukraine Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky but failed to secure Zelensky’s support. On the same day, the Ukrainian leader indicated that the reason for the resignation was Fedorov’s ineffective communication with Syrsky.

Former SBU chief Yevhen Khmara has been appointed acting defense minister of Ukraine. The Kremlin stated that personnel changes in the Ukrainian government are of no fundamental significance to Russia.