Ukraine's parliament set to vote on Khmara as defence minister

Nexus Europa Newsroom
Posted Aug 19, 2026, 03:00 PM UTC · In the digest of 2026-08-19-1500
Ukraine's parliament set to vote on Khmara as defence minister
Photo: Seznam Zprávy

Ukrainian lawmakers are scheduled to vote on appointing former intelligence chief Yevhen Khmara as defence minister as part of a wider wartime leadership and military command overhaul.

Ukrainian lawmakers are preparing to vote on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's nomination of former intelligence chief Yevhen Khmara as the country's new defence minister. The parliamentary vote, scheduled for Wednesday alongside the confirmation of Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, marks a key step in reshaping Ukraine's wartime leadership.

The nomination follows the dismissal of previous defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, whose removal sparked debate and prompted Fedorov to publicly criticize state governance and advocate for wartime elections. Concurrently, newly appointed armed forces commander Mykhailo Drapatyj has begun restructuring senior military command to replace entrenched leadership networks with combat-tested officers. The administrative and military transitions aim to streamline defence management amid ongoing combat operations against Russian forces.

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

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