Ukraine is “gradually, slowly losing” its war with Russia and has only months to make critical changes, former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has warned. The 35-year-old reformer said Kyiv still had “every chance” of victory but lacked the strategy, innovation and political reform needed to turn the tide.

A battlefield window is closing

Fedorov told Reuters that Russia was continuing to grind forward in the Donbas while Ukraine faced a critical shortage of air-defence interceptors against Moscow’s ballistic missile attacks. At the same time, Kyiv’s own drone and missile campaign has struck Russian military facilities and refineries, causing serious disruption.

He argued that Ukraine must urgently expand autonomous drones, AI-guided systems, cheap interceptor missiles and its own ballistic missile programme. A network of electronic sensors and unmanned systems could reduce the need for troops on the frontline, he said.

“Technologies exist already which could completely stop the Russians,” Fedorov said, arguing that Ukraine’s failure was in its lack of a coherent plan to deploy them.

‘State operating at 5% effectiveness’

The former minister also delivered a blistering attack on Kyiv’s political system, accusing entrenched patronage networks, corruption and political interference of crippling government effectiveness.

Fedorov claimed the state was operating at just “5% effectiveness” and disputed President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s accusation that accelerated defence spending had created a $27 billion budget hole. He said his ministry’s plan had relied on procurement savings and international support.

The presidential office rejected his broader assessment, saying Fedorov had been positive about the war while in government and that only his personal status had changed.

Election demand raises fresh political tensions

Fedorov has also called for wartime elections, despite martial law banning them since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Zelenskiy has warned that such a move could undermine Ukraine’s ability to fight.

Fedorov said Ukraine could find innovative ways around the logistical challenges, while refusing to say whether he would seek the presidency himself.

For now, he says the priority is to exploit a narrow window to accelerate Ukraine’s military technology and strike campaign before Russia adapts.

Exclusive: Ukraine needs changes to avoid losing war, ousted defence minister says

It's hard to know about Federov.

Elon Musk has supported him and I wouldn't trust Musk about anything.

In any case, if Ukraine is headed to losing, disunity within Ukraine may indeed be a bigger risk than Putin.

16 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

It's hard to know about Federov.

Elon Musk has supported him and I wouldn't trust Musk about anything.

In any case, if Ukraine is headed to losing, disunity within Ukraine may indeed be a bigger risk than Putin.

During his upcoming trip to the US, if he can persuade Musk to let Ukraine use Starlink to target the Russian mobile ballistic missile launchers, he will gain a lot of kudos.

Just now, bannork said:

During his upcoming trip to the US, if he can persuade Musk to let Ukraine use Starlink to target the Russian mobile ballistic missile launchers, he will gain a lot of kudos.

Yes but I still don't trust Musk.

He was supporting Federov's push for an election which is exactly was both the maga fascists like Vance and Putin wants because they know that would tear Ukraine apart during wartime.

In other words, Federov's motives have been revealed as not divorced from personal ambition politics.

He was selling himself as selfless patriotic only. Nope.

Of course of course it is up to the Ukrainians themselves to deal with these internal political conflicts but the wrong choice could indeed be extremely damaging.

Edited Wednesday at 08:13 AM2 days by Jingthing

Ukraine lost, over 3 years ago.

29 minutes ago, impulse said:

Ukraine lost, over 3 years ago.

Russia lost the first week.

Equally absurd.