The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has officially commented on the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of Yevhen Khmara from military service, which he announced in the Verkhovna Rada on the day he assumed office as Minister of Defense — August 19. The defense department emphasized that Khmara holds the post of head of the MoD solely as a civilian, which is a direct requirement of legislation, and not a result of any medical restrictions. According to ministry representatives, versions circulating in the media claiming that the general was 'written off' based on the results of a military-medical commission do not correspond to reality.
Civilian status as a legal requirement
The key argument presented by the Ministry of Defense is a provision of the Law of Ukraine 'On National Security of Ukraine', according to which the position of Minister of Defense can be held only by a civilian. This means that a serving general or admiral cannot combine military service with a ministerial portfolio: to assume office, he must be dismissed from military service. Thus, Khmara's dismissal is neither an exception nor a punishment, but a standard legal procedure provided for the highest military command transitioning to civilian state service.
Legal basis for dismissal
The department clarified the specific legal article on which the dismissal was based: sub-item 'e' of item 3 of part 5 of Article 26 of the Law of Ukraine 'On Military Duty and Military Service'. This norm concerns specifically generals and admirals: if such an officer does not hold a staff military position, the law allows for his dismissal from military service. It is precisely this mechanism that was applied to Khmara, which fully legitimizes his transition to the civilian post of Minister of Defense.
Refutation of rumors regarding the medical board
Separately, the Ministry of Defense officially confirmed that Yevhen Khmara underwent a military-medical commission under the so-called 'demanding category' for a special unit of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and was recognized as fully fit for military service. On this basis, the department stated that any speculation surrounding the alleged 'writing off' of the minister via the medical board is false. Thus, according to the MoD, the general's medical status has no relation to the procedure of his dismissal to a civilian position.
Contradictory data
Two non-matching versions coexist in the public sphere. On one hand, part of the media and social network users are spreading the thesis that Khmara was dismissed from military service specifically based on the results of the medical board, i.e., due to his state of health. On the other hand, the official statement of the Ministry of Defense categorically refutes this version, citing the civil-legal nature of the dismissal and the confirmed fitness of the general for service under the demanding category. No independent medical conclusion that could confirm or refute the MoD's position is cited in open sources at the time of publication, so the dispute boils down to a confrontation between the official version of the department and unofficial rumors.
Priorities in the new post
In addition to clarifying procedural issues, on the day of assuming office, Khmara publicly outlined the priorities of his work as Minister of Defense of Ukraine. Before the official appointment, he was acting as minister, and on August 19 he took the oath and simultaneously announced his dismissal from military service. Thus, the department attempted to close two tracks with one statement: to legitimize the legal status of the new minister and to stop an information campaign built on rumors about his health.
