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Ukraine’s new defense minister has a clear vision for how Ukraine is to fight going forward in the war.
Ukraine’s newly appointed defense minister has outlined a tough vision for the war, signaling a sharper focus on performance and battlefield impact as fighting grinds on into another year.
His remarks come as both sides largely avoid disclosing their own losses, while independent estimates continue to fuel debate over the conflict’s true cost.
A blunt strategy
Speaking to journalists after taking office, Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said his agenda rests on two pillars, starting with internal oversight.
“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,” he said according to The Kyiv Independent.
He then set out what he called his second priority: “The second strategic objective is to kill 50,000 Russians per month.”
Claims and calculations
Fedorov said Ukrainian forces had already inflicted heavy losses. “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,” he said.
“They view people as a resource, and shortages are already evident,” Fedorov added, arguing that sustained casualties could strain Russia’s war effort.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russia has lost 1,225,590 troops since the invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022, a figure that includes killed, wounded, and missing. Kyiv says its overall estimate of Russian casualties now exceeds 1.2 million, numbers broadly consistent with Western intelligence assessments.
Pressure on both sides
Despite losses, Russia has continued limited advances. The Ukrainian open-source mapping project DeepState reported that Russian forces occupied 4,336 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2025, less than 1% of the country, helped by fresh contract soldiers.
Ukraine, meanwhile, faces growing manpower strains. In a rare disclosure on Jan. 14, Fedorov said two million Ukrainians are wanted for evading mobilization, while another 200,000 soldiers are absent without leave.
Ukraine’s parliament appointed Fedorov as defense minister on Jan. 14. He previously served as deputy prime minister and minister for digital transformation, where he oversaw drone production initiatives and helped launch the Brave1 military technology program.
Sources: Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Ukrainian General Staff, DeepState
