Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Thursday that Yevhenii Khmara, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), will serve as Acting Minister of Defense.
Khmara was appointed earlier this year as the acting head of the SBU. However, under Ukrainian law, he cannot simultaneously hold the positions of Security Service chief and Defense Minister.
He is expected to leave military service in the coming days, allowing President Zelenskyy to formally submit his nomination to Ukraine’s parliament for approval as Defense Minister.
“I have tasked Yevhenii Khmara with serving as Acting Minister of Defense, continuing reforms in the defense sector and ensuring that Ukraine achieves all the results we have agreed upon,” Zelenskyy wrote on Facebook.
The Ukrainian president praised Khmara’s experience, particularly in technology-driven military operations, describing it as extensive and, in many respects, unprecedented.
“This is exactly where our defense efforts must be focused during this war,” Zelenskyy added.
The appointment follows Wednesday’s dismissal of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as part of a broader government reshuffle. The 35-year-old had served in the position for only six months.
During his tenure, Fedorov’s efforts to accelerate the technological modernization of Ukraine’s armed forces reportedly led to tensions with several senior military commanders, who said cooperation with him had been difficult.
