Fedorov proposed a 'drone army' to the US in exchange for Patriot missiles

Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov is seeking American investors for a new defense technology fund, which should not only invest in Ukrainian startups but also independently create companies to develop new types of weapons.

Fedorov spoke about this in an interview with Financial Times during his stay in Washington. According to him, negotiations on participation in the project are ongoing with venture funds, private investors, and American technology companies.

Fedorov emphasized that this is not a classic venture fund. Western capital is planned to be directed both to existing Ukrainian defense startups and to the creation of new companies capable of quickly developing and scaling technologies for war.

At the first stage, the fund will have three main directions. The first is robotic systems for the battlefield, which should reduce the army's dependence on human resources and the number of military personnel directly on the front line. The second is cheap high-speed interceptor drones to combat Russia's new jet attack drones. The third is inexpensive missiles using artificial intelligence.

According to Fedorov, high-speed drones for intercepting Russian jet drones have already been tested in Ukraine, and additional funding would allow their large-scale production to be established.

The former minister also proposed a technological partnership to the United States. He said he is ready to help the American side create a "drone army" in exchange for supplying Ukraine with interceptor missiles for Patriot systems needed to protect against Russian air attacks.

Fedorov believes that if the war continues for another two to three years, the new structure will be able to simultaneously create advanced solutions for the Ukrainian battlefield and give Western investors access to practical experience in using defense technologies.

A separate area of his international activities is cooperation with partner countries. Previously, Fedorov agreed to provide free consultations to Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on defense innovation issues. In the interview, he allowed for similar cooperation with other countries, including France and the USA.

At the same time, Fedorov did not disclose what exact role he will have in managing the new fund and whether he will receive personal financial benefit from its activities.