Zelensky appoints spy chief Yevhenii Khmara as interim defence minister of Ukraine

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that the head of the country’s security services, Yevhenii Khmara, will be appointed as acting defense minister.

Khmara was appointed the acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine at the beginning of this year and, under Ukrainian law, cannot simultaneously serve as defense minister. He is expected to retire from military service in the coming days, allowing Zelenskyy to request that parliament appoint him as defense minister formally.

“I have tasked Yevhenii Khmara with serving as acting minister, continuing to reform the defense sector, and ensuring that Ukraine achieves all of the results we have discussed,” Zelenskyy wrote on Facebook .

He added: “Khmara has gained extensive and, in many respects, unprecedented experience with technological combat operations. This is exactly where our defense efforts should be focused during this war.”

Zelenskyy dismissed former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on Wednesday as part of a cabinet reshuffle. The 35-year-old had held the post for only six months. While reforming the military’s technology, Fedorov also clashed with top generals, who said they found him difficult to work with.