{
  "id": 1172658,
  "title": "Fired Ukrainian defense minister says Ukraine is in a \"technological war\" with Russia",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/fired-ukrainian-defense-minister-says-ukraine-is-in-a-technological",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-16T02:18:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CBS News",
    "slug": "cbs-news",
    "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fired-defense-minister-mykhailo-fedorov-ukraine-technological-war-russia/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Mykhailo Fedorov, the former Ukrainian defense minister who is seen as the creator of Ukraine's modern military tactics, revealed in an exclusive CBS News interview his belief that Ukraine finds itself in a \"technological war\" with Russia. Fedorov, who is just 35 years old, stated that decisions need to be made constantly - 24/7 - as both countries are rapidly innovating. Prior to his dismissal last month, Fedorov played a key role in crafting Ukraine's anti-war strategy, advocating for the use of drones and robots to counter Russia's greater military strength.\n\nThe Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, fired Fedorov in mid-July due to a \"fundamental disagreement\" between the two. This move sparked widespread protests nationwide. However, Zelenskyy subsequently removed the fired general Oleksandr Syrskyi from his post shortly after. When asked why he thinks he was removed, Fedorov declined to speak to the American audience about the matter. Despite the reason for his firing, Fedorov emphasized that Ukraine would continue fighting.\n\nFedorov credited himself for significantly increasing the number of deep strikes into Russia and strengthening Ukraine's domestic arms supplies. Recently, Ukraine reportedly struck a Russian space agency facility in Samara, located around 560 miles from the Ukrainian border, using new Flamingo missiles developed in Ukraine. In June, a Ukrainian defense technology company tested a ballistic missile. Fedorov estimated that a Ukrainian-made ballistic missile will likely strike a target inside Russia within three to six months.\n\nFedorov acknowledged the difficulty in predicting when Ukraine will be able to intercept Russia's own ballistic missiles, which have been successful in reaching their targets. This development puts pressure on Kyiv to develop new air defenses. Fedorov told CBS News that the protests over his dismissal signal that the Ukrainian people support democratic values and that Ukraine is fighting for its freedom. The former tech entrepreneur did not comment on the possibility of a return to government. He concluded by saying, \"Soon we will see,\" but reiterated that all his future work would be focused on ending the war and rebuilding Ukraine.",
  "summary": "Mykhailo Fedorov, the former Ukrainian defense minister who is widely credited as the architect of the country's modern war-fighting strategy, told CBS News in an exclusive interview that he believes Ukraine is in a \"technological war\" with Russia.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Economic Times",
        "title": "Ukraine’s strike rattles Russia’s Black Sea",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/ukraines-strike-rattles-russias-black-sea",
        "published": "2026-08-12T13:12:20.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Voice of Ukraine",
        "title": "Ukraine's 40-day strike campaign costs Russia billions but fails to force truce — NV analysis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/ukraines-40-day-strike-campaign-costs-russia-billions-but-fails-to",
        "published": "2026-08-12T13:32:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Hindustan Times - World News",
        "title": "‘Harm to bilateral ties’: Russia demands US, Turkey explanation over possible Ukraine arms transfer - What's happening",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/harm-to-bilateral-ties-russia-demands-us-turkey-explanation-over",
        "published": "2026-08-15T15:19:53.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}