Ousted Ukraine minister says Kyiv lacks vision to win war
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Ousted Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine is gradually losing the war against Russia and has a window of several months to make key decisions. He cited a lack of overall vision, failure to innovate, and entrenched corruption as major obstacles. Fedorov's remarks mark a departure from Kyiv's official rhetoric, which maintains the country can win.
Key Facts
- Mykhailo Fedorov was dismissed as Ukraine's defence minister six months after his appointment.
- A July poll found 82% of Ukrainians believed Ukraine would win the war.
- Russia is firing dozens of ballistic missiles a month at Ukrainian factories and warehouses.
- Fedorov called for wartime elections last week, becoming the first major political figure to do so.
Fedorov's Assessment
Fedorov told Reuters that Ukraine appears to be slowly losing the war against Russia. He said Kyiv has a window of several months to make key decisions needed to turn the tide. Fedorov stated that Ukraine lacked any overall vision for how to win the four-year-old conflict. He also cited ingrained corruption, patronage networks, and a lack of political independence in government institutions as holding the country back.
Military and Technological Challenges
Russia is hammering Ukrainian factories and warehouses with dozens of ballistic missiles a month, which Ukraine is mostly unable to take down as interceptors run low. Although Russia is gaining less ground than last year, it is still slowly crawling forward in the Donbas. Ukraine has ramped up its own drone and missile attacks deep into Russia, hitting key military factories and causing serious damage to oil refineries. Fedorov emphasised the importance of developing autonomous drones guided by artificial intelligence, cheap interceptor missiles, and Ukraine's own ballistic missile program.
Political Fallout
Fedorov was fired six months after his appointment, having initiated 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. Ukraine's presidential office said Fedorov had been positive about the conduct of the war when he was at the ministry and the only thing that had changed was his personal status.
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Ousted Ukraine minister says Kyiv lacks vision to win war
