Mykhailo Fedorov remains committed to his role as Defense Minister despite dismissal by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that he will return to the government only if he is reinstated as the minister of defense. Despite his dismissal by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Fedorov maintains that he does not view the situation as a political struggle and does not wish to become a political opponent of the president during the war. Fedorov noted that his efforts to make defense procurement more transparent and his shift toward technological weapons—increasing the share of drones in the procurement budget from 60% to 90%—may have contributed to his resignation. He attributed the changes to pressure from defense company lobbyists. While thousands of protesters in Kyiv have gathered to demand his return, Fedorov has expressed a respect for the distance he maintains from the protest participants. He believes the war is moving toward the 'robotisation of the front line' and predicts that autonomous drones controlled by artificial intelligence will eventually fight each other.