Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said in an interview with Reuters that Ukraine is "gradually, slowly losing" its war with Russia, while insisting the country still has "every chance" of victory. He said the current moment is a "turning point" that will determine the conflict's future course, and that Kyiv has several months to change the situation.
Fedorov, who served as defense minister for six months before his dismissal in July 2026, identified the lack of an overall strategy for waging and ending the war as the main problem. He also cited corruption, a patronage system, insufficient independence of state institutions and the inability to quickly adopt new technologies. He rated the effectiveness of the Ukrainian state at "5%."
According to Fedorov, the war could be turned around by the mass deployment of autonomous AI-equipped drones, cheap interceptor missiles and the development of a domestic ballistic missile program. He claimed that technologies "capable of completely stopping the Russians already exist" but are not being used due to the absence of a unified plan.
Fedorov also discussed the campaign of strikes against Russian fuel and military logistics. He said Ukraine has a few more months to try to isolate annexed Crimea before Russian forces adapt to this tactic.
Last week, Fedorov became the first major Ukrainian politician to call for elections during wartime. President Volodymyr Zelensky opposed the idea, saying that voting under current conditions could destroy the country, and suggested that external forces may have prompted the former minister's remarks. Fedorov denied this. Ukraine has been under martial law since the start of the full-scale invasion, during which elections are not held.
Fedorov was dismissed as defense minister in July 2026 following a conflict with the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi. The dismissal sparked protests in Ukraine, and Zelensky subsequently removed Syrskyi from his post. The presidential office, commenting on Fedorov's remarks, noted that while serving as minister he had assessed the course of the war positively.