- Category
- Latest news
What’s Inside Ukraine’s New Defense Strategy to Make the War Unsustainable for Russia
- Authors
![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Ukraine intends to sharply increase the cost of the war for Russia in an effort to force Moscow toward peace, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said during a meeting with journalists on January 20.
Speaking to the media, Fedorov framed Ukraine’s strategy as a parallel track to diplomacy—one designed to apply sustained military pressure while negotiations continue elsewhere.
Every article pushes back against disinformation. Your support keeps our team in the field.
“Make the cost of war for Russia one it cannot sustain, thereby forcing peace through strength. Diplomats are pursuing their own track, but in parallel, we must do our part.”
Fedorov said the first pillar of this approach is a fundamental overhaul of how the Ministry of Defense operates, moving beyond a narrow focus on procurement and logistics.
“There are key stages that will lead to this. The first is rebuilding management. We want to change the paradigm that the Ministry of Defense is only about procurement and supply. It is also about civilian oversight and coordination. We need the right dialogue and the right synchronization.”
According to Fedorov, leadership and accountability are central to the reform effort, with performance becoming a defining criterion.
“We must set the right tasks. A system without them begins to fail. That is why management is the first priority. Management must be built around those capable of achieving defined goals. If people don’t demonstrate measurable results, they can’t remain in the system.”
Fedorov said the second major objective focuses on intensifying pressure on Russian forces at scale, arguing that Moscow treats manpower as a disposable resource.
“The second strategic objective is to kill 50,000 Russians per month. Last month, 35,000 were killed; all these losses are verified on video. If we reach 50,000, we will see what happens to the enemy. They view people as a resource, and shortages are already evident.”
A separate priority, Fedorov added, is systematically removing Russian drone operators from the battlefield—a growing threat that has reshaped combat across the front.
“Our task is to remove Russian drone operators from the battlefield. To form units that specifically hunt drone operators. These units are already being created, but we need to scale the experience gained.”
The comments signal a broader shift in Ukraine’s defense posture—one that pairs structural reform with clearly defined military benchmarks, as Kyiv seeks to alter Russia’s calculations and push the war toward an outcome decided by endurance rather than momentum.
Earlier, reports emerged that Ukraine was moving to build what officials described as an “anti-drone dome” over the country after Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov signed an order appointing drone unit commander Pavlo Yelizarov as a deputy commander of the Air Force.
-29ed98e0f248ee005bb84bfbf7f30adf.jpg)
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")