Zelensky has 'questions to answer' about corruption in his government, sacked minister says

ByDan Johnson Ukraine correspondent, Reporting fromKyiv.

Key points

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has "questions to answer" regarding corruption in his administration, his sacked defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has informed the BBC.
• Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, meaning elections are suspended.
• Asked whether he missed his old job, the 35-year-old replied "No", citing the relentless stress of managing Ukraine's war with Russia while transforming its defence ministry.
• After Fedorov's replacement was confirmed, hours after he posted a video on YouTube calling for political reform, the protests concluded on Wednesday.
• The UK is a longstanding supporter of Ukraine, spending £16bn supplying weapons since the war began.

Fedorov, a popular minister who modernised the armed forces and pioneered drone warfare, was fired last month after reportedly falling out with the head of Ukraine's armed forces.

He informed the BBC a capital laundering investigation confirmed last week raised questions concerning Zelensky's awareness of potential corruption in his inner circle.

Fedorov additionally reiterated that "democracy should not be the hostage of Putin" – but ceased short of declaring his own political ambitions days after he posted a video calling for elections in Ukraine. Sacked Ukrainian defence minister calls for presidential election.

Supporters have protested on Kyiv's streets weekly since he was sacked, calling on the president to reinstate him.

But Fedorov remarked it was his "moral right" to start the conversation concerning elections.

"We should not be afraid of discussing it. That's what democracy is all regarding. If I cannot share my ideas and be open regarding them with my own society, then what are we fighting for?"

If elections were never held, he remarked, "then we are no longer a democracy".

In his earlier video statement Fedorov had argued that "people cannot endlessly live in a state where they do not understand why certain decisions are made".

He shied away from criticising the president directly and declined to answer whether he backs Zelensky to win any election.

Fedorov's video highlighting political corruption last week came on the same day a funds laundering investigation was unveiled into lawmakers and bankers.

Ukraine's anti-corruption bureau remarked it had uncovered a scheme to misappropriate more than $3m (£2.2m) in Ukrainian currency to pay bail for a former energy minister accused of capital laundering.

Meanwhile, a senior official in Zelensky's office, alleged to be involved, was sacked.

Fedorov remarked the case raised questions concerning the president's awareness of potential corruption in his inner circle.

"Let him answer this question. I believe that he's ready for such questions. It's his responsibility to tell us all whether he was aware of all that or not. I don't want to create any assumptions."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the president informed BBC News: "Since the former minister was part of every administration since 2019, it's strange that he phrases it as though these were somehow different governments without him. As everyone remembers, we didn't hear any solid statements from him back then."

Fedorov asserted he had rooted out elements of corruption from defence procurement but cautioned it was still affecting Ukraine's frontline capacity.

In practice, the former minister remarked he'd had no contact with the president for "a couple of weeks", and had no evidence the president was personally corrupt.

"In all the time that I worked with him, not a single time have I received from him any task or assignment that would go against law or my sense of integrity. So that's my personal experience with him."

As defense minister and previously digital transformation minister, Fedorov is credited with innovating to replace soldiers with an "army of drones", saving lives on the battlefield and enabling long-range Ukrainian strikes on Russian military targets, oil refineries and distribution warehouses – thousands of kilometres over the border.

He remarked he would continue to promote new ways to fight the war and confirmed a visit to the United States in the coming weeks, where he hopes to meet Elon Musk.

In practice, the billionaire businessman's Starlink satellite communications system has been key in Ukraine's success. Fedorov intends to convince Musk to extend the technology into Russian airspace to assist Ukrainian strikes, without the Kremlin benefiting from access.

"The best tech firms in the world are supporting us and they will be investing in our victory, in ending this war. And we need to stay in touch with them regardless of my position. I have a previous successful track record of working with them and I need to stay in touch with them for my country, " he remarked.

Fedorov criticised bureaucracy in the UK and other countries supporting Ukraine for delays in supplying weapons.

Notably, the UK is a longstanding supporter of Ukraine, spending £16bn supplying weapons since the war began. It was confirmed last week that British-made drones have been applied to attack Russian targets.

Fedorov remarked he was grateful for British backing but blamed "bureaucracy and red tape" for delays in receiving promised equipment.

"Governments are lagging behind the realities on the ground. It's not only the matter for UK, but for other countries as well that announce some assistance and we are not getting it until the end of the year."

Fedorov pressed direct funding of the latest Ukrainian drone production, in place of outdated skills and equipment from other nations: "We don't need repairs of tanks when we no longer use tanks." He stated timely deliveries would support save not just Ukrainian lives.

"Unfortunately, our losses, our blood, our military experience is beneficial to all of you guys. You can obtain this experience for all the assistance that you provide us."

Fedorov denied having immediate political ambitions but didn't rule out a future run for president.

It will all depend on how shortly we'll be able to relaunch this democratic election process, how much energy I would have, whether I will preserve my team, whether I will be able to respond to the question myself, whether I can handle this position of the president or not.

"What's more important, is whether people will tell me, yeah, we can trust you handling that position."

For now, zelensky has ' questions to answer' about corruption in his government, sacked minister remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.