Ukraine Appoints New Defense Minister Amid Protests
Yevhen Hymara has been confirmed as Ukraine's Minister of Defense. The Verkhovna Rada voted in favor of appointing Yevhen Hymara as the new Minister of Defense of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian media.
Consensus
- Evgeny Khmara was confirmed as Ukraine's Minister of Defense by the Verkhovna Rada.
- The vote passed with 312 deputies in favor, exceeding the required 226.
- Khmara previously served as acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and as acting Minister of Defense since July 2026.
- Mykhailo Fedorov was dismissed as Minister of Defense in mid-July 2026.
- Protests occurred in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities demanding Fedorov's reinstatement.
- Fedorov called for presidential elections during wartime shortly before the vote.
- The appointment followed a series of government reshuffles in July 2026, including changes to the Prime Minister and Chief of the General Staff.
Points of divergence
- The appointment of Khmara followed a serious political crisis after Fedorov's dismissal. — kommersant
- Fedorov refused other positions after his dismissal. — novaya_eu
- The appointment coincided with a significant internal political challenge to Zelensky, viewed as the most dangerous by the West. — thebell
- The headline is incomplete and cut off mid-sentence. — tg_bbcrussian
- The reshuffle was linked to Zelensky's attempt to shift attention from Ukraine's military setbacks. — vedomosti
- Khmara became the 21st Minister of Defense in Ukraine's history. — tg_astrapress
- Khmara became the fifth Minister of Defense since the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. — tg_radiosvoboda
Coverage (18 sources)
- Former head of the Ministry of Defense Fedorov called for holding presidential elections in Ukraine — Коммерсантъ
- On Ukraine appointed a new head of the Ministry of Defense — РИАМО
- Rada appointed Yevheny Khmara as Ukraine's minister of defense — Новая газета Европа
- Verkhovna Rada approved a new minister of defense — The Bell
- Verkhovna Rada appointed Yevheny Khmara as Ukraine's Minister of Defense — Радио Свобода
- Yevheny Khmara appointed as Ukraine's Minister of Defense; Verkhovna Rada voted for Yevheny Khmara's appointment but... — BBC News Русская служба
- Rada appointed Yevheny Khmara as Ukraine's minister of defense — Ведомости
- Verkhovna Rada appointed Yevheny Khmara as Ukraine's Minister of Defense — ASTRA
- Yevheny Khmara appointed as Minister of Defense of Ukraine — BBC News Русская служба
- Verkhovna Rada appointed Yevheny Khmara as head of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense — Дождь (Telegram)
- Verkhovna Rada appointed Yevheny Khmara to the post of head of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense — Вечерняя Москва
- Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved Yevhen Khmara for the post of Minister of Defense — ЭХО / Новости
- Rada again appointed Sibiga as head of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Вести
- Rada supported reappointment of Sybig to the post of head of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Вечерняя Москва
- Ukraine government fired Khmara from interim defense minister post — Вечерняя Москва
- Rada Committee Supported Khmara's Appointment as Ukraine's Minister of Defense — Ведомости
- Rada Defense Committee supported Khmara's candidacy for defense minister — Вести
- Rada appointed Yevheny Khmara to the post of head of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense — Москва 24
Key entities
- Ukraine
- Evgeniy Khmarenko
- Verkhovna Rada
- Ministry of Defense
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- Andrey Sibiga
- MID
- SBU
- Rade
- Security Service
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