Rada approves Khmara as defense minister
The Verkhovna Rada has supported the submission of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to appoint Yevhen Khmara to the post of Minister of Defense of Ukraine.
As an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent reports, 312 people’s deputies voted in favor of the appointment at a plenary session on Wednesday.
Khmara has taken part in combat and special operations of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) since the start of the war, carrying out missions in Kyiv and Donetsk regions, and led the special operation to liberate Snake Island. Back in 2016, he was awarded the presidential distinction "For Participation in the Antiterrorist Operation," and in 2025 – the "Cross of Combat Merit." He is a knight of the Order "For Courage" 3rd class and the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 3rd, 2nd, and 1st classes. In 2023, he received the military rank of brigadier general, and in 2024 – major general.
In August 2025, Khmara was appointed head of Special Operations Center "A" of the Security Service of Ukraine, and from January to July 2026, he temporarily performed the duties of SBU head. On July 16, 2026, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed assigning him the duties of minister of defense. On July 17, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed him temporary acting minister, and on July 20 – deputy defense minister, while retaining his role as acting head of the defense ministry.
Information regarding Khmara’s personal life, date and place of birth, and education is not available in open sources.
On August 18, a draft resolution on appointing Khmara to the post of Minister of Defense of Ukraine was registered in the Verkhovna Rada under No. 15523, after which the relevant parliamentary committee unanimously supported his candidacy.
Khmara became the 21st minister of defense of independent Ukraine, the ninth since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2014, and the fifth since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. In his post, he replaced Mykhailo Fedorov, who held the position from January 14 to July 16, 2026, and was the youngest defense minister in the history of Ukraine.