Zelenskyy backs new acting defence minister, highlights long-range ops experience, ignores protests
In his evening address on July 16, President Zelenskyy appointed Yevhen Khmara as acting defence minister, praising his long-range operations background, while making no mention of ongoing protests or unresolved mobilisation issues that had been criticised under the previous minister.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in his evening address on 16 July that Yevhen Khmara will serve as Acting Minister of Defence of Ukraine. Khmara previously headed the SSU's Center of Special Operations Alpha, which has achieved the most effective results in eliminating occupiers on the front and consistently ranks first in monthly results. Zelenskyy noted that Khmara was responsible for the SSU's long-range operations and will now oversee long-range operations of all security forces – a priority. The president added that Khmara has sufficient security experience to prevent disgraceful incidents and has already discussed legal procedures with new Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi to ensure the appointment. In his address, Zelenskyy made no mention of the protests or public calls to reinstate former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, nor did he address the mobilisation issues he had earlier criticised Fedorov for. Earlier, Zelenskyy acknowledged that Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi had failed to find common ground, and that problems on the battlefield, in brigades, and with mobilisation remained unresolved. He also said he had not yet submitted Ihor Klymenko's candidacy to parliament for defence minister, but considered the former interior minister capable of overcoming the 'shameful busification practices' during mobilisation. However, later that evening, Zelenskyy said he would propose to parliament the appointment of Khmara as defence minister. Meanwhile, protests in support of Fedorov are taking place near the President's Office in Kyiv and in other cities across Ukraine, with demonstrators calling for his reinstatement and against handing the post to Klymenko.
