13SEP

Rada confirms Khmara as defence minister, 312 to two

1 min read

12:20UTC

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada appointed Yevhen Khmara defence minister on 19 August by 312 votes to two, with no abstentions. Mykhailo Fedorov, sacked on 15 July, called on 18 August for a legal mechanism to hold wartime elections.

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Key takeaway

Parliament confirmed Khmara by 312 votes to two as Fedorov pushed for wartime elections.

Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada appointed Yevhen Khmara defence minister on 19 August by 312 votes to two, with no abstentions. He told deputies "I stand before you as a civilian" and said he had left military service under Article 26 of the military service law.

That answered the objection hanging over him since Zelenskyy handed him the ministry in July and the cabinet formalised him as acting minister against contested legal advice. Parliament settled the vacancy and the lawyers' argument one day after its recess ended.

Mykhailo Fedorov, sacked as defence minister on 15 July, used the same week to open a political flank. He called on 18 August for a legal mechanism to hold elections during wartime, saying Ukraine's democratic process cannot be held hostage by Russia. Wartime elections remain prohibited under Ukrainian law, and a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology poll dated 5 August found 57% want them held only after the fighting stops. Zelenskyy, who replaced his commander-in-chief in the same July reshuffle, has not answered him directly.

Deep Analysis

In plain English

Ukraine's Parliament confirmed a new defence minister by an overwhelming vote. His predecessor, who was removed in July, is now pushing for a legal way to hold elections during the war, but a recent poll found most Ukrainians would rather wait until the fighting stops.

Sources:Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine·Reuters

Mentions:Verkhovna Rada →Yevhen Khmara →Mykhailo Fedorov →Russia →Parliament →Kyiv →Ukraine →

First Reported In

Update #27 · Russia's rate hold names the fuel shortage

Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine· 13 Sept 2026

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