Former acting head of SBU Yevheniy Khmara officially became the acting Minister of Defense today.
The relevant orders were published on the government website.
Khmara was appointed deputy minister and given the duties of acting minister. The orders are dated July 17, but they only came into effect today.
Government resignation and protests for Fedorov
President Volodymyr Zelensky reported the resignation of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on July 12 and reported that the composition of the government and the leadership of law enforcement agencies would be renewed. And on July 14, the Rada dismissed Svyrydenko from her post.
On July 15, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov reported his resignation. This sparked a wave of protests across Ukraine, which have been going on for five days.
During a conversation with journalists, Fedorov spoke about the conflict with Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky, who allegedly gave Fedorov an ultimatum and blocked the Ministry of Defenseʼs initiatives. At the same time, Zelensky said at a briefing that Fedorov and Syrsky could not agree, and the conflict between them was "systemic".
On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada voted to appoint Serhiy Koretsky as Prime Minister of Ukraine. Only one MP was against. Prior to that, Koretsky was the Chairman of the Board of “Naftogaz”, which he headed in 2025.
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