President of Ukraine introduces Evgeniy Khmara as Minister of Defence of Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced Evgeniy Khmara, the new Minister of Defence, to the Ministry of Defence team.
The event was attended by Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatyi, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ihor Skybiuk, Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko, Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, and other officials.
Evgeniy Khmara thanked the President of Ukraine for his trust, Parliament for its support, the Government for its joint efforts to ensure the country’s defense, and the Commander-in-Chief and General Staff for their coordination and unity in decision-making.
Tasks set by the President
During the introduction, Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the need to continuously align the Ministry of Defence’s decisions with the actual needs of the front.
The only way to assess the quality of weapons and the effectiveness of decision-making is whether they make a difference — whether they help defend our positions on the front and reduce russia’s capacity to wage war.
The President emphasized the importance of coordinated efforts by the Ministry of Defence and the Defence and Security Forces to compel russia to make peace.
Another specific task is to review all agreements with partners. Every interaction with partners must produce a concrete result. Securing financial resources to strengthen Ukraine and counter the enemy remains one of the key tasks.
Air defense, counter-ballistic capabilities, and response to russian terror
According to the President, air defense and counter-ballistic capabilities remain a key priority. Ukraine must strengthen the protection of its skies and respond to russian terror targeting frontline communities and Ukrainian cities.
Another focus is increasing the number of deep-strike operations. russia must feel the consequences of every strike against Ukraine.
The Ministry of Defence’s three priorities
For his part, Evgeniy Khmara emphasized that the Ministry of Defence team is already organizing its work around three key priorities: strengthening the front line, the defense industry, and human capital.
According to Evgeniy Khmara, the Ministry of Defence is scaling up what has already proven effective, eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy, and accelerating decision-making.
The Ukrainian warrior at the center of decision-making
Ukrainian warriors will be at the center of every decision made by the Ministry of Defence. The lives and health of our defenders are of paramount importance.
The quality of training, support, weapons, medical care, and recovery are our priorities.
Another area of focus is attracting strong professionals and building strong teams — on the front line, within military command and control bodies, and at the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
More air defense, ballistic missiles, counter-ballistic capabilities, and drones
The Minister of Defence emphasized that Ukraine must adapt as quickly as possible to changes in russian strikes and build its defenses so that jet-powered Shahed drones or any other weapons russia uses for its campaign of terror do not give the enemy an advantage.
Evgeniy Khmara also noted that Ukraine needs more air defense capabilities and needs its cooperation with partners to deliver more results.
The Ministry of Defence will accelerate Ukrainian production programs for ballistic missiles, counter-ballistic capabilities, and protection against russian drones, as well as the development of effective unmanned systems of various types — for the front line and for middle strike and deep strike operations.