Ukraine's ousted defence minister plans US trip to raise project funding

KYIV: Ousted Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov will go to the United States to raise money for new defence technology projects as he seeks new ventures after losing his post, a source close to the former minister told Reuters.

Fedorov's dismissal from the defence ministry in July led to weeks of protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities calling for his reinstatement although they have now died down.

In a rupture with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday, Fedorov became the first leading Ukrainian political figure to call for wartime elections, which are prohibited under the constitution.

The source denied earlier media reports that Fedorov was going to the U.S. to seek political support for his election call, and said that the tech-savvy, reform-minded former minister would not be meeting U.S. politicians or officials.

"Fedorov is planning to launch a range of projects related to the war and to Ukrainian startups," the source said, without providing any dates.

One of the projects would be an investment fund, the source said.

A proponent of new military technologies and drone warfare since Russia's 2022 invasion, Fedorov has close ties to U.S. companies such as SpaceX and Palantir.

A personal appeal he made to SpaceX owner Elon Musk led to Starlink services being turned on over Ukraine at the beginning of the war. Tens of thousands of the company's satellite internet terminals are now the lifeblood of Ukrainian battlefield communications and important for piloting drones.

The source said Fedorov was continuing to talk to Musk about Starlinks, but that no meeting between the two men was currently planned.