Ousted Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov says Ukraine is preparing to launch what he describes as the country’s largest venture fund dedicated to defense technology, backing both military startups and established companies. The fund will be based in Kyiv and is expected to launch “very soon,” Fedorov said after a recent international working trip by Ukraine’s digitalization team.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The team held meetings with international donors, Big Tech companies and venture capital funds to attract investment for Ukraine’s technology sector, including projects such as Diia, Mriia and Diia City, as well as artificial intelligence. Fedorov said the team had secured resources for the new Defense Tech fund, which will focus on three main areas. The first is robotizing and equipping the battlefield with sensors, aimed at reducing risks to Ukrainian troops and accelerating the use of unmanned systems on the front. The second is air defense, including cheap interceptor missiles and other systems capable of shooting down jet-powered Shahed drones and missiles. The third priority is low-cost strike missiles, with plans to eventually integrate artificial intelligence into the systems. “We need to have an answer to all enemy attacks and build our own system capable of responding at scale,” Fedorov said. He said he would invite startups and experts to join the fund.