Ukrainian parliament to vote on new defence chief amid military command overhaul

Ukrainian lawmakers are scheduled to vote on Wednesday regarding President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s nomination of former intelligence chief Yevhen Khmara as defence minister, alongside the confirmation of Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. The parliamentary vote follows the removal of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who publicly criticized systemic corruption and governance failures while advocating for wartime national elections.

Concurrently, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyj has initiated a comprehensive restructuring of the armed forces hierarchy. Drapatyj, recognized for his operational leadership dating back to 2014 combat actions in Mariupol, is working to dismantle internal patronage networks and streamline military management. The organizational overhaul addresses systemic command issues previously highlighted during the leadership transition.

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