Zelenskyy appoints Yevhen Khmara as acting defense minister

"I have instructed Yevhen Khmara to serve as acting minister, continue reforming the defense sector, and deliver the results we have discussed for Ukraine. Once all the necessary legal procedures have been completed, I will ask Parliament to support Yevhen Khmara's appointment as Ukraine's defense minister," the president said.

Zelenskyy said he discussed with the general the implementation of long-range operations against Russia, as well as ensuring that Ukraine's security agencies and Defense Forces receive the equipment they need.

The president said there is a strategic vision for how Ukraine must proceed in defending its independence and forcing Russia into diplomacy.

"Yevhen Khmara has gained extensive and, in many ways, unprecedented experience in conducting technology-driven long-range strike operations. This is exactly what our defense should focus on in this war," Zelenskyy stressed.

The president added that Khmara's strengths as defense minister should include delivering results in long-range strike capabilities, security work to maintain control across all branches of the Defense Forces, and leadership experience gained at the SBU's Alpha Special Operations Center.

Earlier, Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine could win the war if Zelenskyy replaced Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov.

Fedorov also said he had been offered a position as a presidential adviser by Zelenskyy but declined the proposal.