Ousted Defense Minister Warns Ukraine Is Slowly Losing War Without Urgent Changes
Ousted Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated on August 25 that Ukraine is slowly losing its war against Russia, warning that Kyiv has a window of several months to implement critical changes and reverse its military trajectory.
A Closing Window and a Blunt Assessment
Fedorov told Reuters that Ukraine lacks any overall vision for how to win the four-year-old conflict. He argued the nation remains hobbled by a failure to innovate, engrained corruption, patronage networks, and a lack of political independence in government institutions, bluntly stating that the state is operating at five percent effectiveness.
Relentless Russian Fire and Depleted Defences
According to Reuters, Russia is currently hammering Ukrainian factories and warehouses with dozens of ballistic missiles a month while slowly crawling forward in the Donbas.
Ukraine’s sparse frontline infantry dugouts are manned mostly by unmotivated conscripts. Interceptors are running low.
In response, Ukraine has ramped up drone and missile attacks deep into Russia. These strikes have damaged oil refineries, caused nationwide fuel shortages, and hit key military factories.
The Ouster and the Call for Wartime Elections
Fedorov, 35, was fired six months after his appointment following reforms around procurement and mobilisation that put him on a collision course with the military establishment and political rivals.
Last week, he became the first major political figure to demand wartime elections, decrying a systemic crisis of governance.
Autonomous Drones and Frontline Technology
In an interview, Fedorov emphasized the importance of developing autonomous drones guided by artificial intelligence, cheap interceptor missiles, and Ukraine’s own ballistic missile program.
He laid out a vision for a frontline covered by electronic sensors to detect enemies, alongside land and air drones to minimize human presence.
The Official Response
Fedorov stated he was a driving force behind a drone campaign targeting Russia’s fuel and military logistics in occupied southern Ukraine, which sought to isolate Russian-occupied Crimea. According to Reuters, Fedorov said the campaign’s success was aided by his decision to front-load spending.
Ukraine’s presidential office responded to Fedorov’s comments by stating that he had been positive about the conduct of the war while at the ministry and that the only thing that had changed was his personal status.