Prominent Ukrainian activist tapped to advise defense minister on front-line drone combat
Prominent Ukrainian activist and volunteer Serhii Sternenko will serve as adviser to newly appointed Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, working to increase the effectiveness of drones on the front lines, Fedorov announced on Jan. 22.
Fedorov was officially named Ukraine's defense minister on Jan. 14, amid a significant reshuffle of military and government roles in early 2026.
Sternenko, 31, is a Kyiv-based activist who played a key role in popularizing first-person-view (FPV) drones, raising funds to supply them and other equipment to the front lines after Russia's full-scale invasion.
"From now on, Serhii will be my advisor on increasing the use of UAVs on the frontline," Fedorov said on Jan. 22. "His experience will help us implement a shared vision of enhancing the effectiveness of unmanned units."
The appointment comes four months after Sternenko harshly criticized Ukraine's military and political leadership in November 2025, writing on social media that "our defense is falling apart."
Fedorov said that Sternenko recently held a conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky and was prepared to deepen cooperation with the government to increase the availability and efficacy of drones for front-line units.
"Currently, only 50 units out of 400 provide about 70% of all enemy hits," Fedorov said. "Our goal is to help the other 350 units grow quickly and significantly increase the scale of Russian destruction."
The defense ministry, aided by Sternenko's expertise, will implement process improvements based on front-line data and feedback from the military, Fedorov said.
Sternenko in January 2025 launched the Sternenko Community Foundation to help supply front-line troops with drones and promote the development of unmanned systems. He also runs a YouTube channel with over 2 million subscribers, and his Telegram channel has over 840,000 readers.
Sternenko was an active participant in Ukraine's 2013-2014 EuroMaidan Revolution. He has been targeted in assassination attempts and was a vocal critic of authorities in Odesa.
In November, Sternenko's criticisms of Ukrainian leadership came with the warning that "we are headed toward a disaster of strategic magnitude, which could lead to the loss of statehood." The statement followed significant Russian advances in eastern Ukraine, while Moscow also managed to open new fronts in Dnipropetrovsk and Sumy oblasts.
Zelensky's office has reportedly been pursuing a "new policy of openness and engagement," including meeting with people once seen as rivals or opposition figures. In recent days, the president has spoken to Sternenko, volunteer Serhii Prytula, former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, and former Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
The policy comes on the heels of Ukraine's largest corruption scandal, which resulted in dismissals of — and in some cases, criminal charges against — high-ranking individuals. Former Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak resigned in November 2025, paving the way for the Zelensky administration to change its approach to governance.
