Zelenskyy nominates Khmara as Ukrainian defence minister amid military leadership overhaul

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted formal parliamentary nominations for new cabinet leadership, recommending former intelligence chief Yevhen Khmara as Defence Minister alongside Andrii Sybiha as Foreign Minister. Lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the confirmations on Wednesday, according to parliamentary sources.

The nominations follow the mid-July dismissal of former Defence Minister Mychajlo Fedorov, who publicly criticized government corruption and systemic failures in military command while calling for national elections despite ongoing martial law. Concurrently, newly appointed Commander-in-Chief Mychajlo Drapatyj has begun restructuring military command, seeking to dismantle informal patronage networks established under previous leadership to enhance battlefield efficiency.

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