Ukraine’s parliament approved Yevhenii Khmara as the country’s new defense minister Wednesday, formally installing him after the removal of Mykhailo Fedorov last month.
His nomination was backed by 312 lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada, well above the 226 votes needed for the appoinment.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy nominated Khmara for the post after Mykhailo Fedorov was removed as defense minister in July. Khmara had served as interim defense minister following Fedorov’s dismissal before being nominated for the permanent role.
Khmara takes charge of the Defense Ministry as Ukraine continues its war against Russia and amid political fallout from Fedorov’s removal, which prompted protests in Kyiv.
Who is Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara?
Before joining the SBU, Khmara served with the Ukrainian National Guard’s Omega special forces and specialized in mines and explosives, according to Ukrainian media reporting based on people who served with him. He joined the SBU’s Alpha special operations unit in 2011, initially working as a breacher, a specialist trained to force entry during assault operations. He later led a specialized team within Alpha that was formed in 2014.
Khmara’s rise through the ranks predates Russia’s full-scale invasion. A 2019 presidential decree identified him as an SBU lieutenant colonel and awarded him the Medal for Military Service to Ukraine for service to national security. Zelenskyy promoted him to brigadier general in August 2023 and to major general in June 2024.
After Russia invaded in February 2022, Khmara took part in fighting around Kyiv and later in the eastern cities of Sievierodonetsk and Rubizhne. He also directed the special operation to retake Snake Island in the Black Sea in 2022, according to accounts from former SBU colleagues. Zelenskyy appointed him to lead the SBU’s Alpha center in April 2023, putting him in charge as the unit increasingly expanded its use of drones and other technology for strikes against Russian forces.
Despite his senior roles, Khmara has maintained a notably low public profile. Much of his career remains classified, and publicly available records do not give his age, birthplace, education or details about his family. He became acting head of the SBU in January 2026 before moving to the Defense Ministry in July.
