Fedorov Warns Ukraine 'Slowly Losing' War, Urges Reform — SkimNews
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- Fedorov told Reuters Ukraine is 'gradually, slowly losing' the war and has 'several months' to reverse course — a marked departure from Kyiv's official rhetoric; the presidential office fired back that he was positive about the war while in the ministry and only his personal status had changed.
- Fedorov identified three urgent priorities — AI-guided autonomous drones, cheap interceptor missiles to counter Russia's dozens of monthly ballistic missiles that Ukraine mostly cannot shoot down, and a domestic ballistic missile program — saying existing technologies could 'completely stop the Russians' but lack of a joined-up strategy prevents deployment.
- Fedorov was fired six months into his tenure after clashing with the military establishment over procurement and mobilization reforms, sparking weeks of protests; he then became the first major Ukrainian political figure to demand wartime elections, declaring a 'systemic' governance crisis — a call Zelensky condemned as potentially 'destroying Ukraine.'
- Zelensky accused Fedorov of leaving a $27 billion hole in the defense ministry budget by front-loading 2026 spending to fund drone strikes on Russian fuel and military logistics in occupied southern Ukraine; Fedorov rejected the figure, saying planned deficit under his watch was around $5 billion and was fully sourced.
- Fedorov said the Ukrainian state operates at just '5% effectiveness' due to corruption and patronage, alleging he found department heads appointed at the behest of defense companies to lobby their interests.
- A July poll found 82% of Ukrainians still believed Ukraine would win the war, though most expected fighting to continue into 2027 or later.
Why it matters: Fedorov's public break with Kyiv's official line — from a 35-year-old reformer Zelensky once backed — puts direct pressure on the president to explain the $27 billion defense budget gap and justify the wartime election ban, while Russia's slow but steady Donbas advance continues to narrow Kyiv's decision window.
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