--- title: "Ukraine's MoD refutes rumors of Khmara being 'written off' via medical board: MoD explains the legal nature of his dismissal" description: "Ukraine's Ministry of Defense has refuted rumors about Yevhen Khmara's dismissal from military service via a medical board. The MoD explained that he holds the post of minister as a civilian, as required by law, and is fully fit for service." date: 2026-08-20T12:20:20.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-mod-refutes-rumors-of-khmaras-dismissal-via-medical-board tags: [ukraine, defense-ministry, yevhen-hmara, military-service, vlk] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Ukraine's MoD refutes rumors of Khmara being 'written off' via medical board: MoD explains the legal nature of his dismissal ![Military officer in Ukrainian Armed Forces camouflage uniform speaking at a podium with microphone in context of the Defense Ministry's clarification on Khmara's dismissal](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/21/minoborony-oproverglo-sluhi-ob-uvolnenii-hmary-cherez-vlk/minoborony-oproverglo-sluhi-ob-uvolnenii-hmary-cherez-vlk-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated that Yevhen Khmara holds the post of Minister of Defense as a civilian, as required by the Law 'On National Security of Ukraine'. - Khmara's dismissal from military service was formalized under sub-item 'e' of item 3 of part 5 of Article 26 of the Law 'On Military Duty and Military Service'. - The department confirmed that Khmara passed the medical board under the demanding category for an SBU special unit and is fit for service, calling rumors of being 'written off' false. - Khmara took the helm of the MoD on August 19, having previously acted as minister; on that same day, he announced his dismissal from military service in the Verkhovna Rada. 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. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [MoD explains Khmara's dismissal: he was not 'written off' due to medical board](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/minoboroni-poyasnili-zvilnennya-hmari-yogo-1787228147.html) - Транслирует официальное заявление МО: гражданский статус, правовое основание увольнения, опровержение слухов о ВЛК. - [MoD comments on Khmara's dismissal from military service](https://korrespondent.net/ukraine/4904699-v-mynoborony-prokommentyrovaly-uvolnenye-khmary-s-voennoi-sluzhby) - Подтверждает комментарий ведомства по процедуре увольнения и статусу министра. - [Did Khmara actually resign from military service via medical board: MoD comments](https://tsn.ua/ru/ukrayina/deystvitelno-li-hmara-uvolilsya-s-voennoy-sluzhby-cherez-vlk-v-minoborony-prokommentirovali-3152666.html) - Фиксирует спор о ВЛК и официальное опровержение со стороны МО. - [MoD dispels rumors about Khmara's dismissal via medical board](https://novosti.ua/politics/minoborony-oproverglo-sluhi-ob-uvolnenii-hmary-cherez-vlk) - Подтверждает тезис о ложности слухов и гражданско-правовой природе увольнения. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: Why was Yevhen Khmara dismissed from military service? **A:** According to the Ministry of Defense, the dismissal was formalized as a transition to a civilian position: the Law 'On National Security of Ukraine' requires that the Minister of Defense be a civilian. The legal basis is sub-item 'e' of item 3 of part 5 of Article 26 of the Law 'On Military Duty and Military Service'. ### Q: Was Khmara actually 'written off' via the medical board? **A:** The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine officially called this version false. The department stated that Khmara passed the medical board under the demanding category for an SBU special unit and was recognized as fully fit for military service. ### Q: When did Khmara head the Ministry of Defense? **A:** According to the provided materials, Khmara headed the MoD on August 19, having previously acted as minister. On that same day, in the Verkhovna Rada, he announced his dismissal from military service. ### Q: Who is legally prohibited from holding the post of Minister of Defense? **A:** According to the regulation cited by the MoD, the position of Minister of Defense can be held only by a civilian, therefore serving generals and admirals must be dismissed from military service to assume this position.