Former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov has confirmed that Kyiv had planned an operation against targets in Moscow. Recently, The Atlantic reported that at the beginning of 2026, Kyiv had planned Operation M&M’s, which involved using AI-powered drones against Moscow's airports to paralyze them.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned at the time that if any of the drones struck a civilian aircraft, Ukraine’s actions could be perceived as an act of piracy. Nevertheless, work on implementing the plan began.
Sources in the Office of the President have declined to confirm the organization of the operation in comments to journalists. However, former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who initiated the operation and whose departure from office led to the plan being shelved, did confirm it.
Why M&M’s?
In an interview with 24 Channel, Fedorov declined to explain the idea behind the operation, adding that it could still be implemented in the future.
But he provided details on the operation’s codename, saying journalists had misinterpreted it, as the plan had nothing to do with deploying a large number of cheap drones.
“That is a mistake. At a meeting where we were discussing fully autonomous deep-strike drones, I was handing out M&M’s to everyone. It was my birthday, and someone gave me a box of M&M’s. I shared them with everyone and said that we would call this autonomous-drone project M&M’s," Fedorov said.
What does the former minister plan to do next?
During the interview, Fedorov said he wants to create a venture fund to attract Western capital for investment in Ukrainian startups and developers.
“I have several priorities. One is cheap missiles, because I am convinced that they are the future of warfare involving artificial intelligence. These are inexpensive missiles that could be used to deter strikes and further escalation," he explained.
Another priority for him is the robotization of the front line and the deployment of sensors.
"We need to think about how to remove infantry from the front line. We need to robotize the front line as much as possible so that people do not have to spend months in dugouts under drone attacks," he said.
Opposition to the system
Fedorov also announced that he planned to travel to the US the following week, not to seek President Donald Trump’s support after calls for Ukraine to hold elections.
When asked whether he planned to meet Elon Musk there and continue their cooperation in some form, the former minister replied, “We’ll see.”
He said he did not yet know whether he would run for president or parliament, or, if so, which political team he would join, adding that everything would become clear only after it was possible to prepare for a vote.
The former minister also said that he was currently in opposition—not to any particular politician, but to the system.
“We are not talking about one person, or two people, or just some top officials. We are talking about hundreds of people who have simply become accustomed over the years to making money from the state budget,” he said.
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