Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Yevhen Khmara as the acting defense minister, with plans to seek parliamentary approval for his formal nomination following necessary legal procedures.

According to Anadolu Agency, the announcement was made by Zelenskyy on Telegram after Ukraine's parliament approved most of the new Cabinet members on Thursday. However, the posts of defense and foreign minister were left vacant because the Ukrainian Constitution requires the president to nominate candidates for these positions separately.

Khmara, a major general and a career officer in the Security Service of Ukraine, will lead the Defense Ministry in an acting capacity until the appointment process is finalized. His career includes service in the service's Alpha special forces unit since 2011 and leadership of the Special Operations Center "A" since 2023. Since January 2026, Khmara has been serving as the acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine.

The reshuffle in the Defense Ministry comes after the departure of former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. This change is part of a larger government reshuffle initiated by Zelenskyy. Earlier on Thursday, Zelenskyy also addressed the tensions between the Defense Ministry and the General Staff, highlighting that disagreements had extended beyond the reported personal differences between former Defense Minister Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.