Zelenskyy also pointed to problems with defense spending and inaccurate information from the Defense Ministry that contributed to an awkward exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump over Ukraine’s use of Starlink in Russia.
He made the remarks during a two-hour meeting with reporters Saturday, with a transcript released Sunday.
Zelenskyy said he still has a positive view of Fedorov, whom he credited with helping modernize Ukraine’s military and expand its use of technology and drones. But he said Fedorov had become involved in issues he considered inappropriate.
Fedorov was dismissed last month following reports of tensions with Ukraine’s top military commander. His removal triggered weeks of protests, while he later called for elections. Zelenskyy said he offered Fedorov four options to remain in government, but he rejected all of them.
On the Starlink dispute, Zelenskyy said the Defense Ministry had told him earlier this year that SpaceX had agreed to allow Ukraine to use Starlink over Russian territory for deep-strike operations, subject to political approval.
Based on that information, Zelenskyy said he discussed the proposal with Trump and told him that Elon Musk had confirmed it. However, Musk later rejected the proposal, saying it could lead to dangerous escalation. Trump subsequently accused Zelenskyy of misleading him.
Zelenskyy said he did not directly accuse Fedorov of providing false information but indicated that the incident was among the reasons for taking action against him.
He also defended former army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and current Defense Minister Maj. Gen. Yevhen Khmara against protesters who had harshly criticized them, saying such attacks went too far.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said Ukraine faces a $27 billion shortfall in its defense budget after funds originally planned for the second half of 2026 were spent earlier in the year.
He also said anti-corruption investigators had found no evidence of his involvement in a money-laundering case involving a deputy head of the presidential office.
On the battlefield, Zelenskyy claimed Ukrainian forces had nearly retaken the entire Dnipropetrovsk region, with only about 10 square kilometers and three small villages remaining under Russian control. He said Ukraine expected another military operation to produce results by the end of August.
He predicted that by the end of 2026, Ukraine could achieve near parity between territory seized by Russia and territory retaken by Ukrainian forces. According to him, Russia has occupied about 990 square kilometers since the beginning of the year, while Ukrainian forces have regained roughly 820 square kilometers.
Zelenskyy said Russia’s main military objective remained the Konstantynivka-Sloviansk-Kramatorsk axis and that Moscow continued to demand Ukraine’s withdrawal from Donbas as part of any settlement.
The Ukrainian president also highlighted a growing shortage of Patriot air-defense missiles. Ukraine received 675 Patriot missiles in 2023, compared with 364 in 2025, while only about 264 are expected in 2026.
He said Ukraine wants to secure another 300 Patriot missiles before winter, although its air force has requested 360. Zelenskyy said he hoped Ukraine could obtain even 5% to 10% of U.S. reserves and was prepared to pay for them.
He warned that Russia could eventually produce up to 1,300 ballistic missiles annually, compared with an estimated current capacity of about 600.
Ukraine is also exploring alternatives to Starlink, including a European communications project, as Russia and China develop competing satellite communication systems.