Ukrainian parliament to vote on new defence minister amid military leadership overhaul

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has officially submitted the nomination of former intelligence chief Yevhen Khmara as Defence Minister to parliament, with a vote scheduled for Wednesday alongside the confirmation of Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. The nomination follows weeks of political friction triggered by the dismissal of former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who publicly criticized government corruption and called for wartime national elections.

Concurrently, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyj has assumed operational leadership of the armed forces, initiating structural changes to resolve internal command issues and dismantle patronage networks left by previous leadership. Drapatyj, recognized for his tactical role in Mariupol in 2014, faces the task of streamlining military management amid ongoing conflict.

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