Arsen Zhumadilov, Head of the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA), publicly refuted rumors circulating in the media about a prolonged conflict with the team of former Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov, allegedly sparked by tender procedures. According to Zhumadilov, no such confrontation existed, and tenders were not the cause. The statement comes against the backdrop of previously published information that the agency's general director had submitted a resignation, adding further resonance to his explanations.
Refutation of Conflict Rumors
In response to a direct question about the possibility of a non-public conflict with the entourage of the former minister, Zhumadilov emphasized that neither tender disputes nor any systematic confrontation took place. According to his version, after Fedorov's appointment as minister, there was only one frank conversation on the subject, which concluded without any complaints from the minister. Thus, Zhumadilov labeled the narrative of a protracted conflict, constructed in certain publications, as untenable.
The Only Conversation After Appointment
Zhumadilov recounted that during a meeting held immediately after Fedorov's appointment as minister, he stated directly that neither the market nor law enforcement agencies could ever accuse him of bribery. He added that there should be no questions regarding the professional aspect of his work, but he acknowledged that a new minister might objectively feel uncomfortable working with someone not part of their team. In this regard, Zhumadilov offered to Fedorov to openly state his desire for his replacement and promised to resign in such a case, after first handing over the affairs.
Wiretaps and Law Enforcement Materials
According to Zhumadilov, during that same conversation, the minister and members of his team confirmed that materials from law enforcement agencies were indeed received regarding him, and in 2025, one of the agencies conducted wiretapping simultaneously at five locations. Zhumadilov stated that none of these checks revealed any complaints against him. Fedorov, he said, then assured him that there were no questions, and in the event of dissatisfaction, the minister would report it directly rather than covertly. After this conversation, Zhumadilov claims, there were no further contacts on this topic, nor any requests from the minister's team for his dismissal.
Contradictory Data
Zhumadilov's version of the complete absence of pressure and requests for dismissal from the former minister's entourage formally conflicts with parallel published information: RBK-Ukraine reported that the general director of the Defense Procurement Agency submitted a resignation. Thus, the fact of leaving the post is recorded; however, according to Zhumadilov himself, it was not caused by a conflict or covert pressure from Fedorov's team. Moreover, his own admission that the minister "might be uncomfortable" working with him, and his willingness to leave at the first request, indirectly indicate organizational tension, even if there was no formal "conflict" by his definition. No public comment from former Minister Fedorov confirming or refuting this version has been recorded in available sources at the time of publication.
Context: Unfinished Reforms and Resignation
Previously, Zhumadilov stated that the Defense Procurement Agency had not managed to launch a model for quota export of weapons, nor introduce a reimbursement mechanism for military equipment. These unfinished initiatives, along with the submission of a resignation, form the general context of his public refutation: the agency, according to him, is leaving amidst unfinished reforms, but without any conflict with the former leadership of the defense department.
