"We sell chaos and lies": Fedorov criticized the AFU command and declared a crisis of trust

«We sell chaos and lies». What Fedorov said about the problems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Yesterday’s assessments by former Defence Minister Fedorov paint a rather pessimistic picture of the state of the Ukrainian army.

In his view, the key problem lies not in the shortage of weapons or technology, but in the military command system itself. He notes that many important reforms are being stalled, and the current structure prevents the effective use of even the resources already available.

Fedorov believes that the Armed Forces of Ukraine operate mainly at the tactical level, while the Russian side works at the operational depth. The corps model, intended to fix the situation, has never fully worked: some corps deliver results, while in others commanders are constantly replaced, there is no clear structure, and it is even unclear how many brigades are under their command.

Separately, he condemns the practice of frequently moving units between brigades.

«There are brigades that cannot even say exactly how many battalions they have. A battalion is withdrawn from one brigade and transferred to another. In such a system, it is impossible to build proper command. No one is responsible for anything», — said the former minister.

He also sees another problem in the constant rotation of commanders. «A brigade commander arrives, serves for a month — and is removed. The next one arrives — and is also removed. With such an organization, it is impossible to plan anything».

In this context, Fedorov criticized the attitude toward proactive commanders and officers. According to him, successful people are not supported; on the contrary, attempts are made to restrict them.

«If you succeed — are you a hero? No. You’re a ‘loser.’ Drapatyi gets a third reprimand — goodbye. ‘Lazar’ in the Air Force — we won’t sign documents for two months, deal with bureaucracy instead of doing your job», — Fedorov described the system (Drapatyi supported Fedorov after his dismissal).

The former minister also criticized drone procurement. «We bought more drones than in the entire previous year, yet most units have not felt it. Distribution is done manually: the loyal get them, the disloyal do not», — Fedorov stated.

He claims that decisions in the army are made not on the basis of objective data, but according to personal loyalty.

The harshest criticism is directed at the Commander-in-Chief. «All the initiatives we proposed began to be blocked. Syrskyi is not ready to speak openly about problems. He is ready to attend meetings, weave intrigues, and look for scapegoats», — Fedorov said.

According to him, instead of seeking ways to asymmetrically defeat Russia, Syrskyi has focused on internal power struggles.

At the same time, the former minister separately acknowledges Syrskyi’s merits in the defense of Kyiv and the successful operations of 2022, but believes that the current war requires different approaches to army management.

Fedorov also links the crisis in the army to mobilization. In his opinion, Ukrainians are deterred not by military service itself, but by the lack of trust in the military system. «We are not selling new contracts. We are selling chaos, irresponsibility, and lies», — said the former head of the Ministry of Defense, who, it should be recalled, himself recently introduced these new contracts.

He also believes that the core of the mobilization problems lies in how units treat their personnel.

«We hear from the podium: ‘TRC! TRC! TRC!’ But where are your guts to come out and say what the real problem is? About units, about assaults, about the lack of transfers», — Fedorov addressed the deputies.

In Fedorov’s view, without a deep reform of the command system and a change in the principles of appointing commanders, Ukraine will not be able to win the war.