LUGANSK, September 1. /TASS/. The statement by former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov regarding the need for Patriot missile deliveries points to serious problems within the Ukrainian armed forces, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

On June 30, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fyodorov stated in an interview with the Financial Times that he would be happy to help the US "build an army of drones" in exchange for American supplies of Patriot missile interceptors to help Ukraine in coming months. He is also seeking to secure the support of American investors for a venture capital fund focused on defense technologies.

"Fyodorov’s statement in the Financial Times interview is quite controversial, as it is self-contradictory. First of all, he is trying to trade his [drone] developments for Patriot missiles, which implies that the Patriot system is more effective against the Russian Federation than those same drones. This points to problems within the Ukrainian armed forces," the expert said.