Significant personnel changes have taken place within the Ukrainian military department. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Major General Evgeny Khmara, currently the Acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), as the Acting Minister of Defense. This decision, announced by the head of state, marks a new stage in the management of the country's defense.
New tasks for the new minister
Volodymyr Zelenskyy clearly outlined the priorities for Evgeny Khmara. Primarily, this involves continuing the reform of the defense sector and achieving specific results that were previously discussed in the President's Office. The head of state emphasized that after completing all necessary legal procedures, he intends to appeal to parliamentarians to support Khmara's candidacy on a permanent basis.
A key area of work for the new Acting Minister will be ensuring that security units and Defense Forces are equipped with necessary resources, as well as conducting long-range operations against Russia. Zelenskyy stated that he has a strategic vision of how Ukraine should act to protect its independence and compel the Russian Federation to diplomatic negotiations.
Special operations experience as the main advantage
The President specifically highlighted Evgeny Khmara's unique background. According to Zelenskyy, the General possesses "extensive, largely unprecedented experience in conducting technological strike operations." It is on this, in the opinion of the head of state, that Ukraine's defense should focus in the current war.
Furthermore, Zelenskyy pointed to Khmara's experience in managing personnel, gained while heading the SBU's "Alpha" Special Operations Center. The President believes that this experience will ensure effectiveness in long-range strike matters and guarantee control over the situation within various components of the Defense Forces.
Context of personnel changes
Khmara's appointment comes amidst discussions about the need to change the leadership of the armed forces. Earlier, the Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, stated that Ukraine could win the war if the President replaced the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, and the Chief of the General Staff, Andriy Hnatov. Notably, Fedorov also reported that Zelenskyy offered him a position as an advisor, but he declined the offer.
