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

Ukrainian lawmakers are scheduled to vote on Wednesday on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's nomination of former intelligence chief Yevhen Khmara as defence minister, alongside the confirmation of Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Khmara's appointment follows the dismissal of Mychajlo Fedorov, whose removal sparked public friction after he openly criticized systemic flaws in military command structures.

Simultaneously, newly appointed army commander Mychajlo Drapatyj has initiated broad structural reforms within the armed forces. Drapatyj is moving to dismantle patronage networks established under previous leadership while promoting effective battlefield officers into prominent positions. The high-level leadership overhaul comes as former officials warn that evolving Russian drone and missile tactics continue to pose severe threats to critical domestic infrastructure.

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