The Rise and Fall of Ukraine’s Drone Warfare Mastermind
The popularity of drones, and the defense minister who heavily promoted them, helped lead to a clash in which President Volodymyr Zelensky sided with the military brass. Mykhailo Fedorov, the former minister of defense for Ukraine, speaking Thursday in Kyiv. Mr. Fedorov’s growing reliance on drones had reportedly irked some members of the military’s leadership. Jędrzej Nowicki for The New York Times By Andrew E. Kramer/ Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine The New York Times July 17, 2026 In his zealous efforts to popularize drone warfare, Ukraine’s young defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, also gained widespread popularity himself. And that, political analysts and opposition politicians said, may have helped bring about his downfall this week, as President Volodymyr Zelensky sided against him in a titanic clash with the country’s top military commander. Mr. Zelensky’s dismissal of Mr. Fedorov, 35, sidelined a potential political rival who had seized the spotlight. The timing of h...