Ukrainian parliament to vote on new defence and foreign ministers

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has formally submitted proposals to parliament to confirm Yevhen Khmara as Defence Minister and Andrii Sybiha as Foreign Minister, with votes scheduled for Wednesday, 19 August.

Khmara, who previously led the security service, replaces Mychajlo Fedorov. Fedorov's removal triggered public protests and prompted the former minister to publicly call for wartime national elections while criticising government corruption and leadership.

Concurrently, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Mychajlo Drapatyj has initiated significant structural reforms within the armed forces. Drapatyj is moving to dismantle informal patronage networks and reform high-level command operations to improve effectiveness on the battlefield.

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