“Our state became further from victory”: Ukraine’s top volunteer, whose fund bought 286,000 FPV Drones, just lost his defense post

One of Ukraine’s biggest drone-fund volunteers is no longer a defense adviser. Serhii Sternenko said he is out as an adviser to the defense minister, which reduces his ability to improve the army’s drone situation.

His departure follows the exit of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whom Sternenko called “the best defense minister in our entire history.”

As of 15 July, the foundation has purchased 286,566 FPV drones and helped bring down more than 12,675 aerial targets.

He was appointed a Defense Ministry adviser on 22 January 2026, days after Fedorov took over, specializing in drone combat strategy. He has survived four assassination attempts since 2014, the most recent a shooting in May 2025 that Ukraine’s Security Service tied to Russian intelligence.

“It’s a shame that today our state became significantly further from victory,” Sternenko wrote. “It’s a shame that they weren’t even allowed to begin real reforms, though a lot was still changed.”

Sternenko blames “artificial delays”

Sternenko listed what was in progress when the door closed. New tender requirements for FPV drone procurement were near completion, he said — rules that would let the army get the best equipment and build infrastructure for deeper strikes.

“I hope they are ultimately approved,” he wrote.

He named what stopped the rest.

“A lot did not work out, including because of bureaucratic obstacles and artificial delays by those who cause army reform inconveniences,” Sternenko said.

Among what he did achieve, Sternenko listed helping unify ground control stations for fiber-optic drones and lifting several individual brigades to much higher positions in the overall rankings.

Among his regrets: not managing to help his country more in a full-scale war.

His foundation will keep supplying troops with top equipment, he said, “but, of course, on a smaller scale.”

Three departures, one direction

Sternenko’s exit completes a cluster. In two days, Ukraine has lost Ukroboronprom chief Herman Smetanin, Defense Minister Fedorov, and now Fedorov’s drone adviser. All come from the part of the state that runs weapons and procurement, and all during a Cabinet reshuffle that is replacing Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s government.

The anger online has been directed at the loss of Fedorov above all. Many Ukrainians also call him the best minister and say he gave them hope despite an imperfect record.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Telegram channels call Fedorov’s resignation a good thing for Russia. They recalled Fedorov’s cutting off Starlink terminals, which slowed its logistics on the front, and the expansion of drone use.