Yevhen Khmara becomes Ukraine's new defense minister

**Yevgeny Khmara appointed new Minister of Defense of Ukraine**

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved Yevgeny Khmara as Minister of Defense by a vote of 312 deputies. RBC Ukraine reported this.

President Volodymyr Zelensky presented Khmara's candidacy to the parliament on August 18. Speaking to the deputies before the vote, Khmara announced that he had been discharged from military service and was now in civilian status. According to Ukrainian law, a serving military serviceman cannot be the Minister of Defense.

"I stand before you as a citizen. I was discharged in accordance with Article 26 of the Law on Military Conscription and Military Service," Khmara said in his speech to the parliament.

The new minister listed the following as his main priorities:

* Strengthening the front and rapidly supplying the military with weapons;

* Delivering deep strikes on Russian military and strategic facilities;

* Development of the Ukrainian defense industry complex and increase in weapons production;

* Protection and support of the military, their training and introduction of fair service rules;

* Strengthening cooperation between the President, Parliament, Government, General Staff, Ministry of Defense, army, manufacturers and partners.

Khmara stressed that Ukraine should take the strategic initiative in the war, in which domestically produced weapons and long-range strikes will play a decisive role.

**Information about Yevgeny Khmara:**

Yevgeny Khmara is a professional military and special forces officer. He has served in the "A" Special Operations Center of the Security Service of Ukraine since 2011 and headed this unit in 2023.

He participated in battles in the Kiev region and Donbass, and also led a special operation to liberate Zmeiniy Island. Khmara also participated in Operation Spider Web and in organizing drone strikes on military facilities in Russia.

According to sources, the Central Military Structure "A" under Khmara's leadership destroyed more than $ 5.5 billion worth of Russian equipment, including more than 1,800 tanks. He has been the head of the National Security Service since January 5, 2026, and after the changes in the Cabinet of Ministers, he headed the Ministry of Defense.

For information, the former Minister of Defense of Ukraine was Mikhail Fedorov. Vladimir Zelensky dismissed him in July. This was allegedly due to a conflict with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Sirsky. Fedorov's resignation led to protests in the streets. Sirsky was also dismissed from his post soon after.