An important press conference was held in Kyiv, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy outlined the development vector for the military department. The main point of the speech was the requirement for the new Minister of Defense, Yevhen Khmara, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapaty, to work in close unity. The country's leader emphasized that their interaction would be the key factor in addressing current challenges.

Legacy and New Challenges

Zelenskyy stated directly that the tasks facing the new leadership are identical to those of the previous team — Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. The list of priorities included three critically important areas:

  • Ensuring the security of airspace ("closing the sky");
  • Reforming the work of Territorial Recruitment and Resource Centers (TRRC);
  • Organizing the mobilization process, which the president called giving this procedure a "normal face".

"All this must be done together," — the head of state summarized, emphasizing the need to synchronize the actions of civilian and military leadership.

Personnel Reset of the Army

Special attention was paid to personnel issues during the meeting. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he expects specific proposals from the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine regarding a personnel reset. The President noted that without "unconditional important unity" between the Ministry of Defense and the military command, effective management of the army in modern conditions is impossible.

"A personnel reset in the army will happen. I am waiting for proposals from the new Commander-in-Chief," — RBC-Ukraine quotes the President's words.

Context of Appointments

The change in leadership in Ukraine's security bloc occurred in mid-July. On July 22, Mykhailo Drapaty officially replaced Oleksandr Syrskyi as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Earlier, last week, Mykhailo Fedorov was dismissed from the post of Minister of Defense, and his successor became Yevhen Khmara, who previously held the position of Acting Head of the SBU.

It is reported that Khmara has already held a meeting with Drapaty, where the parties outlined the first joint steps and outlined a plan for joint work in their new positions.