Mykhailo Fedorov says changes to military procurements behind his dismissal

Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, in an interview published on Wednesday, said his efforts to overhaul the military's procurement system were the main reason behind his dismissal this month in a military and political shake-up.



Fedorov, a technical expert seen by many as an agent for change in the nearly 4-1/2-year-old war against Russia, told the media outlet Ukrainska Pravda that the proposed changes met resistance from officials inside and around the ministry.



"The reason is connected with procurement, tenders, to the fact that we began overhauling the processes in this area," Fedorov, 35, told Ukrainska Pravda.

"This caused significant dissatisfaction among many people, who then started constantly exerting influence and spreading negativity, not just around the president but across the broader media space."



Fedorov, who held office for six months, said his first undertaking in office was to introduce a tender system for procurement.