Mykhailo Fedorov Becomes Adviser to Italy’s Defence Minister on Defence Innovation

Former Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has become an adviser to Italy’s Defence Minister Guido Crosetto on defence innovation. In his new role, Fedorov will advise the Italian defence ministry on modern warfare technologies, the development of defence capabilities and adapting to emerging security threats.

Fedorov announced the agreement after meeting Crosetto in Italy. He said he would help the country develop modern military technologies, strengthen its defence sector and adapt to new global security challenges.

The position is not a full-time role within the Italian government. Fedorov will serve as an external adviser and, according to Ukrainian media reports, will continue to live and work in Kyiv. His main professional activities will remain focused on Ukraine.

From Ukrainian battlefield experience to European defence policy

Fedorov’s appointment comes as European countries show growing interest in Ukraine’s experience in defence technology. The war has demonstrated how quickly warfare is changing — from the widespread use of drones to autonomous systems, digital command and control, electronic warfare and the integration of civilian technologies into military applications.

The development of these areas was one of the key elements of Fedorov’s work as Ukraine’s defence minister. Reuters reported that Crosetto had offered him the advisory role in July, praising his work on military innovation.

For Italy, the appointment provides an opportunity to draw on the practical experience of a country that is testing and developing new technologies directly under battlefield conditions. For Fedorov, the role creates an opportunity to contribute to closer cooperation between the Ukrainian and Italian defence sectors.

Drones, autonomous systems and a new defence model

Among the areas where Fedorov could be particularly valuable to Italy are unmanned and autonomous systems, countering emerging threats and accelerating the deployment of new technologies within the armed forces. These have become some of the fastest-changing areas of modern warfare.

Over the past several years, Ukraine has developed a large defence-tech ecosystem in which military requirements directly shape the development and rapid improvement of new technologies. For European countries, this experience is becoming increasingly important as they seek to modernise their armed forces and prepare for potential conflicts involving new forms of warfare.

Italy is also seeking to strengthen its defence industrial base and technological capabilities. Cooperation with Fedorov could therefore form part of a broader effort to adapt Italian defence policy to the realities of warfare in which technological advantage is increasingly determined not only by the quantity of conventional weapons, but also by how quickly new solutions can be developed, tested and scaled.

Crosetto’s offer came shortly after Fedorov left office

Fedorov’s new position also has a political context. He left the Ukrainian defence ministry in July, around six months after taking the post. His dismissal came amid disputes over defence procurement, mobilisation policy and relations with the military leadership.

Crosetto said the proposal to work together was made shortly after Fedorov left office. The Italian defence minister had previously described him as an exceptionally innovative politician and invited him to come to Rome to work as an adviser.

That proposal has now become a formal arrangement. Fedorov will remain based in Ukraine while advising the leadership of Italy’s defence ministry.

For Kyiv, the appointment also creates another direct channel of engagement with one of its key European defence partners. For Rome, it offers access to a policymaker who has worked on transforming a defence system under the conditions of a full-scale war.