3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 31
Summary
Guido Crosetto named Mykhailo Fedorov an adviser on modern military strategy, bringing the recently fired former Ukrainian defense minister into Italy’s defense orbit.
The unpaid role is a personal agreement between Crosetto and Fedorov—not a formal Italy-Ukraine government deal—and makes Fedorov Crosetto’s first non-Italian adviser.
Fedorov said he will help Italy adopt modern warfare technologies, strengthen its defense sector and adapt to emerging security threats shaped by battlefield innovation.
The appointment underscores how Russia’s war in Ukraine has turned Ukrainian drone and combat know-how into sought-after expertise as European militaries race to modernize.
Could Fedorov's unpaid advisory role secretly serve as a backdoor to commercialize Ukraine's battle-tested drone technology within Europe's defense industry?
How will a Ukrainian drone innovator's decentralized tactics reshape Italy's traditional military command to prepare for future European conflicts?
Why is one of NATO's most advanced militaries bypassing formal channels to learn modern warfare from a former Ukrainian tech minister?