Ukrainian government appoints Khmara as acting defence minister

The Cabinet of Ministers (Ukrainian government) has appointed Yevhen Khmara as acting defence minister.

Source: Cabinet of Ministers directive

Quote: "The duties of the minister of defence of Ukraine shall be temporarily assigned to Deputy Minister of Defence Yevhen Khmara. This directive enters into force on 20 July 2026."

Background:

• On 16 July, protests in support of former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov took place near the President's Office in Kyiv and in a number of Ukrainian cities. The protesters called on the authorities to reinstate Fedorov in the new government.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi had been unable to work together effectively and that problems on the battlefield, in military brigades and with mobilisation remain unresolved.
• The president said it was right that Ukrainian citizens are able to take part in peaceful demonstrations and express their views even during wartime, adding that he had "not yet made a final decision" on the issue they had raised.
• Later, Zelenskyy said he would propose the appointment of Yevhen Khmara as defence minister to parliament.

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