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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
The Verkhovna Rada at a meeting in 19 August appointed Yehveniy Khmara as Minister of Defense of Ukraine. The votes were cast in favor by 312 members of parliament.
The candidate was presented by the president's representative in the parliament, Halyna Mykhailyuk. The opposition demanded that this be done by the head of state.
Mykhailyuk characterized Yehveniy Khmara as an experienced combat specialist in counterterrorism operations and unmanned technologies, with specialized training in Ukraine and abroad.
“He participated in numerous liberation operations during the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. In particular, the liberation of the Kyiv region, combat tasks in Donetsk region, and a special operation to liberate Snake Island. He began his service in the special forces unit 'Omega'. From 2011 he served in the SBU's Alpha special unit, and from 23 he headed the Center for Special Operations 'A' of the SBU,” Mykhailyuk said.
In his speech before the vote, Yehveniy Khmara noted that Ukraine is aware of Russia's next steps, mobilization plans, and strategies for autumn and winter. They will do everything to reduce its potential and force it to seek peace. Therefore, synergy at all levels is important, he said.
“The enemy can be forced to seek peace only by the strength of our army—through our technological and symmetric solutions. First of all—through constant renewal and effective use of technologies. We have erased distances to objects that feed Russia's war; there are no safe zones anymore. For the first time in history we are inflicting strikes even on Siberia,” he said.
The targets are the defense industrial complex, military logistics, fuel infrastructure, and the entire economic base of the enemy's war. The advantage on the front will be gained through the professionalism of commanders and the training of soldiers.
Three equal priorities:
The front and strengthening the armed forces. Here Khmara spoke of seizing strategic initiative on land and sea, in the air and in the information space, timely delivery of weapons that yield results and work on the front, rather than for someone’s interests, followed by diplomatic and middle strikes.
People. Most importantly—life and health of the fighters. Development of technologies to minimize risks. Communicating with the military, including the wounded.
Development of the defense industry. The defense-industrial complex is the foundation of strength today and security for the years ahead, and they plan to develop and scale it.
The Ministry of Defense remained without a full-time head since 14 July, when parliamentarians dismissed Prime Minister Yulia Svyridenko’s government. 16 August deputies appointed ministers, whose nominations depend on the prime minister. The nomination of the defense minister and the foreign minister by the president was not made. Volodymyr Zelensky said that for now the Ministry of Defense would be in acting capacity under Yehveniy Khmara—acting head of the SBU and head of the Center for Special Operations “A”—an effective unit that fights the occupiers and, in particular, conducts diplomatic strikes. 17 July the Cabinet approved him for the position.
At the same time, by law the post of defense minister of Ukraine can only be held by a civilian. Khmara was discharged from military service before his appointment.
Throughout the period after the resignation of Mykhailo Fedorov, protests gathered in various cities of Ukraine. The former minister himself said he would wait for the Verkhovna Rada to return from recess, and only then would he make career decisions, since he had not heard a clear “no” from the president about the possibility of a reappointment. 18 August, on the day Parliament resumed its plenary work, Volodymyr Zelensky submitted candidacies for minister of defense and minister of foreign affairs: Yehveniy Khmara and Andriy Syviyha.
Yehveniy Khmara: biography
Yehveniy Khmara has headed the Center for Special Operations against terrorism, protecting participants in criminal proceedings and law enforcement officers of the SBU since spring 2023. That year he received the rank of brigadier general, and the following year he became a major general. He led the special operation to liberate Snake Island.
Since August 2025 he has been heading the SBU’s Center for Special Operations “A,” one of the most effective units for striking the enemy.
From 5 January he was the acting head (temporary) of the SBU.
Awarded the Order of Daniel of Galicia (21 in March 2019) for personal merits in strengthening national security, courage, high professionalism, and exemplary performance of official duties.
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