Ukraine's parliament prepares to vote on new defence minister

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has formally submitted the nomination of former intelligence head Yevhen Khmara as defence minister to parliament, with lawmakers scheduled to vote on Wednesday alongside Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha's confirmation.

The transition follows the dismissal of Mychajlo Fedorov, who publicly raised concerns regarding military command structures and escalating Russian aerial bombardments. Warning about advancing Russian drone and missile tactics targeting infrastructure, Fedorov stated, "if we don't stand up to them, they will crush us," while noting that countermeasure solutions are currently being deployed.

Concurrently, recently appointed army commander Mychajlo Drapatyj has begun restructuring top military leadership. His reforms aim to dismantle institutional patronage networks and promote effective battlefield officers into prominent leadership roles.

Sources: Ekonomický deník, Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Respect, Seznam Zprávy