Ousted Ukraine Defence Minister Says Kyiv Losing War, Needs Vision

Ousted Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has stated that Ukraine appears to be slowly losing the war against Russia, warning that Kyiv has only a few months to implement crucial decisions to alter the conflict's trajectory. In an interview with Reuters, Fedorov expressed concern over a lack of overall vision for winning the war and a failure to innovate, attributing these issues to ingrained corruption and a lack of political independence in government institutions.

Fedorov, who was dismissed last month, indicated that while Ukraine still has a chance to win, it urgently needs a comprehensive plan. He highlighted the critical need for developing autonomous drones guided by artificial intelligence, affordable interceptor missiles to counter Russia's ballistic missile attacks, and advancing Ukraine's own ballistic missile program. He criticized the Ukrainian state's inefficiency, estimating its operational effectiveness at only 5%.

The Kremlin responded to Fedorov's remarks by stating they were a sign of intensifying political infighting within the Kyiv regime. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov accused European countries supporting Ukraine of failing to notice that the ruling elite in Kyiv was destroying itself from within. Ukraine’s presidential office countered that Fedorov's personal status had changed, implying his views were influenced by his dismissal.