Zelenskyy taps intel chief as acting defence minister

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed the country’s intelligence chief, Yevhen Khmara, as acting defence minister.

In a statement posted on Telegram on Thursday, Zelenskyy said Khmara’s nomination would be submitted to parliament for formal approval once the required legal procedures are completed.

According to Anadolu Agency, Ukraine’s parliament approved most members of the new cabinet on the same day but left the posts of defence minister and foreign minister vacant. Under Ukraine’s Constitution, candidates for these two positions must be nominated separately by the president.

Zelenskyy said Khmara would serve as acting defence minister until his appointment is formally confirmed.

Major General Yevhen Khmara is a career officer of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). He has served in the agency’s Alpha Special Forces Unit since 2011. From 2023, he headed the Special Operations Centre “A”, and has been serving as acting head of the SBU since January 2026.

Earlier on Thursday, Zelenskyy acknowledged long-standing disagreements between the Defence Ministry and Ukraine’s General Staff, saying the differences extended beyond personal conflicts.