On August 19, Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada appointed Yevhenii Khmara as the country’s new defense minister. His nomination was backed by 312 lawmakers. Before the vote, Khmara had served as acting head of the ministry for about a month following Mykhailo Fedorov’s resignation.
Khmara’s appointment effectively ends a period of uncertainty over the leadership of the Defense Ministry. However, it is unlikely to put an end to the political controversy that began with Fedorov’s departure. For more than a month, protests have been taking place across Ukraine demanding that the former minister be reinstated. The demonstrations began in mid-July, and on August 19, the day of the vote on Khmara’s appointment, protesters once again took to the streets, including in Kyiv and Lviv.
Fedorov arrived at the Defense Ministry with a reputation as a reformer and a strong advocate of the military’s rapid technological transformation. His dismissal became one of Ukraine’s most controversial personnel decisions in recent months. What began as a debate over one minister quickly developed into a much broader discussion about defense reform, personnel policy and dialogue between the government and society. As a result, Khmara is taking office under far greater public scrutiny than would normally accompany a change of leadership at the ministry.
Khmara represents a very different type of leader. He has many years of experience in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), headed its elite Alpha Special Operations Center and for a period served as acting head of the Security Service. Before becoming defense minister, he left military service, as Ukrainian law requires the head of the Defense Ministry to be a civilian.
Khmara’s main challenge will go beyond managing one of Ukraine’s most important ministries during wartime. He will also have to demonstrate that the change in leadership will not mean abandoning the reforms associated with his predecessor.
The new minister’s first personnel decisions, his approach to Fedorov’s team and his plans for the further transformation of the military could therefore prove crucial. They may determine whether the public comes to see Khmara as a reformer in his own right or whether his appointment only strengthens protesters’ demands for Fedorov’s return.
The Verkhovna Rada vote has settled the question of who formally leads Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. But the political controversy triggered by Fedorov’s resignation remains unresolved.
