--- title: "Mikhail Fedorov Becomes Advisor to Italy's Defense Minister on Defense Innovation" description: "Mikhail Fedorov, former Minister of Defense of Ukraine, has become an advisor to Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on defense innovation. He announced joint European projects in the fields of digitalization and defense tech, while keeping the main focus on Ukrainian defense initiatives." date: 2026-08-28T17:02:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/fedorov-advisor-italy-defense-minister-innovation tags: [mikhail-fedorov, italy, defense-technology, nato, ukraine-defense] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Mikhail Fedorov Becomes Advisor to Italy's Defense Minister on Defense Innovation ![Mikhail Fedorov shakes hands with the Italian Minister of Defence in front of NATO and Italian flags during a meeting on defence innovation](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/28/fedorov-sovetnik-ministra-oborony-italii/fedorov-sovetnik-ministra-oborony-italii-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Mikhail Fedorov has become an advisor to Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on defense innovation. - He began an international trip to develop new projects; the first meeting was with Crosetto. - Fedorov is ready to share the Ukrainian experience of technological warfare, but named projects in Ukraine as the main focus. - The appointment came against the backdrop of Fedorov's refusal of four offers to continue working in the president's team. Mikhail Fedorov, former Minister of Defense of Ukraine, has officially confirmed that he has become an advisor to Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on defense innovation matters. He announced this in his Telegram channel, as reported by RBC-Ukraine. According to Fedorov, he and his team have embarked on an international trip dedicated to developing new projects, and the first meeting within this framework was a conversation with the Italian head of the defense department. In the published photo, two men are shaking hands against the backdrop of the NATO flag and the Italian state flag with its coat of arms, consistent with the format of an official bilateral meeting. ### Appointment and Format of Cooperation "The first meeting β€” with Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto. I thanked Guido for his personal support and the offer to become his advisor on defense innovation. I am grateful for the trust and strategic partnership," Fedorov wrote. Thus, his role is not tied to direct command or operational functions within the Italian military department, but is of a consultative nature, focused on the technological and innovation track. According to him, the Italian side views this as an element of strategic partnership, not a one-off action. ### Emphasis on Ukrainian Experience and Projects Fedorov emphasized that he is ready to share with partners "the unique Ukrainian experience of technological warfare." At the same time, he explicitly stated that the main focus of his work remains projects in Ukraine, which strengthen the country's defense capabilities and help attract international resources. "The future of defense belongs to countries that can quickly test and scale new solutions, combining technology with strong manufacturing," the former minister declared. He also noted that Ukraine's experience could become the foundation of a new defense model for Europe, which effectively positions Kyiv as a provider of battle-tested solutions in the field of defense tech and digitalization. ### Context: Refusal to Continue Working in the President's Team The appointment to the Italian position comes against the backdrop of other public statements by Fedorov. Previously, he said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy himself should explain what he knew about the corruption situation in his closest circle. In addition, it was reported that Fedorov received four offers regarding further work in the president's team, but declined all of them. In this logic, the move to an international consultative format in Italy appears as a continuation of his course of working outside the Ukrainian government, while maintaining influence on the defense-technology agenda. ### Significance for Europe and NATO Cooperation with Italy β€” one of the key states of NATO and the EU β€” expands the channels through which Ukrainian defense-technological experience can be transformed into European projects. As follows from Fedorov's statements, new promising projects at the European level in the fields of digitalization and defense tech are planned. For Rome, this is access to practical experience of rapid technology adaptation under conditions of real conflict; for Ukraine, it is an additional lever for attracting resources and consolidating its role in the emerging European defense model. The specific parameters, timelines, and budget of future joint projects were not disclosed at the time of publication. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Fedorov Becomes Advisor to Italy's Defense Minister Crosetto](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/fedorov-stav-radnikom-ministra-oboroni-italiyi-1787936340.html) - ΠŸΠ΅Ρ€Π²ΠΈΡ‡Π½Ρ‹ΠΉ источник: заявлСниС Π€Π΅Π΄ΠΎΡ€ΠΎΠ²Π° Π² Telegram, Ρ†ΠΈΡ‚Π°Ρ‚Π° ΠΎ встрСчС с ΠšΡ€ΠΎΠ·Π΅Ρ‚Ρ‚ΠΎ ΠΈ благодарности Π·Π° ΠΏΡ€Π΅Π΄Π»ΠΎΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΡΡ‚Π°Ρ‚ΡŒ совСтником ΠΏΠΎ ΠΎΠ±ΠΎΡ€ΠΎΠ½Π½Ρ‹ΠΌ инновациям. - [Mikhail Fedorov Becomes Advisor to Italy's Defense Minister](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D1%83%D0%BA%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0/20260828-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%85%D0%B0%D0%B8%D0%BB-%D1%84%D0%B5%D0%B4%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB-%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%BC-%D0%BC%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%BE%D0%B1%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%8B-%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B8) - ΠœΠ΅ΠΆΠ΄ΡƒΠ½Π°Ρ€ΠΎΠ΄Π½ΠΎΠ΅ ΠΈΠ·Π΄Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚ назначСния Π½Π° Π΄ΠΎΠ»ΠΆΠ½ΠΎΡΡ‚ΡŒ совСтника министра ΠΎΠ±ΠΎΡ€ΠΎΠ½Ρ‹ Π˜Ρ‚Π°Π»ΠΈΠΈ. - [Mikhail Fedorov Becomes Advisor to Italy's Defense Minister](https://fakty.com.ua/ru/ukraine/20260828-myhajlo-fedorov-stav-radnykom-ministra-oborony-italiyi/) - УкраинскоС ΠΈΠ·Π΄Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ Π΄ΡƒΠ±Π»ΠΈΡ€ΡƒΠ΅Ρ‚ ΠΈΠ½Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΠ°Ρ†ΠΈΡŽ ΠΎ Π½Π°Π·Π½Π°Ρ‡Π΅Π½ΠΈΠΈ ΠΈ контСкст ΠΏΠΎΠ΅Π·Π΄ΠΊΠΈ. - [Fedorov Takes a Job in One of the NATO Countries: What the Former Minister Will Do](https://glavred.info/ukraine/fedorov-trudoustroilsya-v-odnoy-iz-stran-nato-kem-budet-rabotat-eks-ministr-10792253.html) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΠ°Ρ‚ Ρ€Π°Π±ΠΎΡ‚Ρ‹ (совСтник) ΠΈ привязку ΠΊ странС НАВО β€” Π˜Ρ‚Π°Π»ΠΈΠΈ. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Exactly what position did Mikhail Fedorov take in Italy? **A:** He became an advisor to Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on defense innovation, i.e., in a consultative rather than operational role. ### Q: When and how was the appointment announced? **A:** Fedorov announced it in his Telegram channel, calling the meeting with Crosetto the first in a series of meetings within an international trip to develop new projects; the information was reported by RBC-Ukraine. ### Q: What will be the main focus of Fedorov's work? **A:** Fedorov himself named projects in Ukraine as the main focus, which strengthen defense and help attract international resources, as well as joint European projects in the fields of digitalization and defense tech. ### Q: Does Fedorov continue to work in the Ukrainian government? **A:** No. It was previously reported that he received four offers to continue working in the president's team, but declined all of them, which is consistent with the move to an international consultative format.