Mykhailo Fedorov

THE MINISTER WHO WANTS ROBOTS TO REPLACE THE INFANTRY

Mykhailo Fedorov, 35, ran Ukraine's digital transformation, built the Army of Drones that came to deliver 95% of battlefield strikes, served as defense minister, and in September 2026 — weeks after launching a defense company backed by Palantir CEO Alex Karp — unveiled the Army of Robots: a 'Manhattan Project' to substitute infantry with $10,000 humanoid battlefield machines.

1. 2022

   HE BUILT THE ARMY OF DRONES

   As Ukraine's digital transformation minister, Fedorov launched the Army of Drones in 2022 — opening the market to Ukrainian drone makers, launching government procurement and operator training, and helping form the first strike drone units. He is now running the same playbook on ground robots.

   SOURCES: Defense Newsreported

2. 2026

   DRONES CAME TO DELIVER 95% OF BATTLEFIELD STRIKES

   By 2026 the drone ecosystem Fedorov seeded accounted for over 95% of battlefield strikes, with more than 700 Ukrainian UAV manufacturers producing over six million drones a year across FPV, medium- and long-range classes.

   SOURCES: ZME Sciencereported

3. 2025

   FROM DIGITAL MINISTER TO DEFENSE MINISTER

   Fedorov rose to defense minister, overseeing Ukraine's rapid expansion of battlefield drones. By September 2026 he had left the post, described in press coverage as the country's former defense minister.

   SOURCES: ZME Sciencereported

4. Sep 2026

   PALANTIR'S CEO BOUGHT IN FIRST

   Weeks before the robot announcement, Fedorov announced a new defense company with Palantir CEO Alex Karp as its first investor, starting with a corporate fund and plans for its own venture fund.

   SOURCES: Defense Newsreported

5. Sep 26, 2026

   'WE WANT TO EVENTUALLY SUBSTITUTE OUR INFANTRY WITH THESE ROBOTS'

   At IT Arena in Lviv, Fedorov unveiled the Army of Robots — a 'new Manhattan Project' to field cheap humanoid-like battlefield robots fast: a first prototype in about a month, battlefield results in six, infantry-free assaults in twelve. Target cost: $10,000–$20,000 per unit at scale.

   SOURCES: Defense Newsreported · ZME Sciencereported

KNOWN ASSOCIATES

• Autonomous Weapons$10,000 HUMANOIDS FOR THE FRONT LINE. A DUTCH AI AIMED THE DRONE ITSELF.