Illia Kabachynskyi

In his address to the Ukrainian Parliament, Mykhailo Fedorov, then a potential candidate for Defense Minister, stated that before Russia’s full-scale invasion, there was not a single private company in Ukraine producing missiles or robots. Today, there are dozens of both. This, he said, is the work of his team—and the clearest reflection of its drive to strengthen Ukraine’s defense capabilities.

Russia attacked Ukraine using the Oreshnik missile system, a weapon associated with intercontinental nuclear strike capabilities. Moscow appears to have ordered a second such launch against Ukrainian territory, though the strike in the western Lviv region was carried out without a warhead and appears to have been intended primarily as a psychological demonstration rather than a kinetic attack.

Putin has claimed major battlefield victories in Ukraine, but 2025 figures tell a different story. Ukraine ultimately held Pokrovsk or Chasiv Yar, blocked Russia from Kostiantynivka, and almost cleared Kupiansk—destroying over 1,000 Russian troops. These realities matter as partners consider any future negotiations or shifts in support for Ukraine.

While Ukrainians rose en masse to defend their homeland against Russia’s invasion, when US special forces stormed the Venezuelan capital and captured leader Nicolás Maduro, they did not face much resistance from the public, the army, or even the presidential guard.

Ukraine is investing heavily in drones. Lacking the same manpower resources as Russia, the Ukrainian army is increasingly fighting with unmanned systems. Against this backdrop, a slogan has even emerged: robots and drones go into battle first. Russian army losses in December 2025 underscore the effectiveness of this approach.