"More robots, fewer losses": Ukraine's new defense chief vows tech shift as 200,000 troops go AWOL

Ukraine's new Defense Minister has unveiled a radical plan to overcome a catastrophic personnel crisis by massively accelerating the country's technological edge on the battlefield. Mykhailo Fedorov, in his first address to parliament since his appointment, disclosed that approximately 200,000 soldiers are currently listed as absent without leave, while more than 2 million citizens are evading mandatory conscription.

A Brutally Frank Assessment of the Crisis

The admission by Fedorov, a 34-year-old tech specialist previously in charge of Ukraine's successful drone program, represents the most transparent official acknowledgement of the war's toll on military morale and manpower. The figures underscore the immense strain of a protracted war of attrition against a larger, better-supplied Russian military. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Fedorov specifically to overhaul mobilization and supercharge the domestic defense industry in response to this critical juncture.

The Core Strategy: Leverage Technology to Preserve Lives

Confronting the stark shortage of soldiers, Fedorov's solution is a fundamental shift in doctrine. "More robots means fewer losses, more technology means less death. The lives of Ukrainian heroes are the highest value," he told lawmakers. He plans to leverage a burgeoning domestic arms sector that now includes 500 companies manufacturing drones, 200 producing electronic warfare gear, and over 20 firms developing missiles. His strategy aims to create a tech-centric force that can offset Russia's advantages in troop numbers and artillery with superior innovation and unmanned systems.

An Overhaul of Mobilization and a Reliance on Innovation

The scale of the crisis has forced a commitment to completely reform the nation's broken conscription system. President Zelenskyy stated that "broader, more comprehensive changes" to mobilization are urgently needed. Despite legal requirements for men aged 18-60 to register, and a travel ban on those 23-60, widespread evasion persists. Fedorov's mandate is clear: bridge the staggering personnel gap not just by fixing recruitment, but by building a military where advanced technology reduces dependency on mass infantry, a defining challenge for Ukraine's future war effort.