Khmara Became Ukraine's Defense Minister
- 19.08.2026, 13:50
312 members of parliament voted in favor of this decision.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported the nomination by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Yevhen Khmara for the position of Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
312 members of the Ukrainian Parliament voted in favor of this decision, according to unian.net.
The head of the “Servant of the People” faction, David Arakhamia, wrote on Telegram that Yevhen Khmara is a combat officer who has repeatedly risked his life for Ukraine.
“He has proven himself both in military service and in his role as Minister of Defense. Yevhen Khmara outlined his priorities: to continue seizing the strategic initiative, to carry the war into enemy territory, to preserve human capital, and to develop technology and the defense-industrial complex. Yevhen Khmara advocates for preserving positive achievements and retaining the people who have proven themselves at the Ministry of Defense,” he emphasized.
Khmara stated that he is now a civilian. According to Ukrainian law, the Minister of Defense must be a civilian.
“I stand before you as a civilian. Discharged, in accordance with the law (referring to discharge from military service—ed.) on military duty and military service, Article 26, discharged from military service for the purpose of carrying out organizational measures for senior officers,” he said.
Yevhen Khmara, speaking in parliament, noted that the enemy can only be forced to make peace through the strength of our army and our technological and symmetrical solutions.
He emphasized that Ukraine is now even striking targets in Siberia, within the Russian Federation. According to him, the Russian defense industry, military logistics, fuel infrastructure, and the enemy’s entire economic base are our targets, and we must act quickly.
“We have three key, equally important priorities: the front lines and reinforcing our troops, our people, and the development of the defense industry,” Khmara said.
He also emphasized that on the front lines, it is essential to seize the initiative in all areas—on land, at sea, in the air, and in the information sphere. According to him, the troops need weapons—“plenty of them, delivered on time, and ones that actually get results.” He emphasized that, through a transparent process free of bureaucracy, procurement will be directed exclusively toward the front lines and the defense of Ukraine, and “will not serve any individual interests.”