Ukrainian parliament to vote on new defence minister amid military leadership overhaul
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has nominated Yevhen Khmara as Defence Minister as parliament prepares to vote on key security appointments.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has formally nominated former secret service head Yevhen Khmara as Defence Minister, with a parliamentary vote scheduled for Wednesday, 19 August. The vote will also consider the confirmation of Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha following last month's high-level dismissals.
The ministerial shift follows the removal of former Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who has since publicly criticized systemic corruption and argued that Ukraine faces a "governance crisis," advocating for wartime elections. Meanwhile, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyj has initiated reforms aimed at dismantling internal patronage networks and altering how successful commanders are managed within the military hierarchy.
Sources: Ekonomický deník, Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Respect, Seznam Zprávy
How outlets assessed this
- Aug 27, 2026, 09:00 AM UTC
- iROZHLAS Critical Framed the reshuffle around dismissed minister Fedorov's warnings of systemic corruption and a governance crisis.
- Seznam Zprávy Neutral Focused on internal military restructuring and efforts by Commander-in-Chief Drapatyj to dismantle patronage networks.
Sources
- Seznam Zprávy — Nový šéf ukrajinské armády rozebírá „soukromou“ armádu svého předchůdce
- Hospodářské noviny — Ukrajinská armáda má nového šéfa. Co všechno by se mohlo změnit pod vedením Mychajla Drapatého
- Respect — Zelenskyj navrhl Chmaru na ministra obrany, hlasovat se má ve středu
- Ekonomický deník — Muž z tajné služby má řídit ukrajinskou obranu. Zelenskyj vsadil na Chmaru
- iROZHLAS — ONLINE: Bývalý ministr Fedorov volá po volbách na Ukrajině. Země podle něj čelí krizi vládnutí a korupci
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