Ukraine’s war didn’t go to plan. Its former defense minister’s career did

Mikhail Fedorov is trading Ukrainian politics for an Italian mission to remake a slow-moving military establishment Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov has suddenly – and rather unexpectedly – become an adviser to Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.

The news caught many conservative military analysts off guard.

Why would Italy want him, and what does Rome hope to gain? Let’s try to make sense of the move without getting carried away.

A manager in khaki, not a marshal It should be obvious that Fedorov is no military genius, nor does he possess any particular talent as a battlefield commander.

That is simply not who he is.

He was never a career officer, and he never made his name drawing thick red arrows across maps of future operations.

First and foremost, Mikhail Fedorov is an effective IT executive – and a knowledgeable chief customer for the entire defense industry.

His path to that role began as the top digital strategist for Vladimir Zelensky’s presidential campaign, where he built an online campaign network and bet heavily on internet marketing.

From there, he went on to create Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation and roll out the Diia digital ecosystem, which changed everyday life across the country.

In 2026, Fedorov took over the Defense Ministry amid an urgent need to impose order and bring sweeping digitalization to the armed forces.

The timing, it seems, could hardly have been better.

Read more Rumored Russian draft makes headlines.

Ukraine’s real one sparks street clashes Several major changes in the Ukrainian military were introduced with Fedorov’s involvement: Drone procurement for military units was radically overhauled through the launch of a dedicated marketplace designed to minimize red tape.

It was a highly unconventional move that significantly shortened the path from manufacturer to frontline unit while opening up a market for many small and relatively young companies.