President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, instructed the Acting…
President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, instructed the Acting Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Yevhen Hmarenko, to perform the duties of Minister of Defense.
Consensus
- Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Yevhen Khmara as acting Minister of Defense.
- Khmara was previously serving as acting head of the SBU.
- Mikhail Fedorov resigned from his position as Minister of Defense.
- Zelensky stated he would seek parliamentary approval for Khmara's formal appointment after legal procedures are completed.
- The vacancy in the Ministry of Defense occurred after the resignation of Mikhail Fedorov, who had served since January 2026.
Points of divergence
- Zelensky stated he tasked SBU head Yevhen Khmara with performing duties as Minister of Defense; the parliamentary appointment will be considered later. — tg_varlamov_news
- The acting Minister of Defense is General-Major Yevgeny Khamara, who previously temporarily held the position of SBU head. Zelensky stated he met with Khmara and discussed strategic vision. — vesti
- Khmara must be formally approved by parliament on August 18, as a military officer cannot hold the post without first becoming a civilian under Ukrainian law. The appointment is contingent on legal procedures being completed. — fontanka
Coverage (14 sources)
- Zelenskyy Appoints Acting Head of SBU — Дождь
- Zelenskyy Appoints Acting Head of SBU — Дождь (Telegram)
- Zelensky says he instructed SBU head Yevhen Hmara to perform duties of defense minister — Varlamov News
- Zelensky instructs Acting Head of SBU Yevhen Hmaren to perform duties as Minister of Defense — ТАСС (Telegram)
- Zelenskyy nominated Yevhen Hmara for Ukraine's Minister of Defense — Дождь
- Zelensky Orders SBU Acting Head Khmar to Perform Defense Minister Duties — РИАМО
- Zelensky instructs Acting Head of SBU Yevhen Hmaren to perform duties as Minister of Defense — ТАСС (Telegram)
- Zelenskyy Appoints SBU Head Yevheny Khmara as Acting Minister of Defense — Коммерсантъ
- Zelenskyy offered SBU Acting Head Khmara for the post of Ukraine's Minister of Defense — Вести
- Zelenskyy Chooses Candidate for Ukraine's Minister of Defense — Фонтанка
- Zelenskyy Decides to Appoint SBU Head Yevheny Hmara as Minister of Defense — Meduza
- Zelenskyy offered head of SBU to post as Ukraine's defense minister — Ведомости
- Zelenskyy Nominates Yevhen Hmara for Ukraine's Minister of Defense — Дождь (Telegram)
- Zelenskyy instructs Acting Head of SBU Khmara to perform duties as Minister of Defense — Москва 24
Key entities
- Evgeniy Khmarenko
- SBU
- Ukraine
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy
- Mikhail Fedorov
- Security Service
- Moscow
- Ministry of Defense
- Russia
- Telegram channel
- TASS
- Alpha
- Center for Special Operations
- Counterintelligence Department
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