Ukraine’s new defense minister outlines mobilization approach and troop support

“Mobilization requires a comprehensive decision. We need to understand that the first component — and an important one — is the situation in the military: treating troops with dignity and the conditions under which they serve and conduct combat operations. It covers how personnel are selected and recruited, equipped, trained and supplied with weapons; how they gain experience, carry out combat missions and recover,” Khmara said.

“Once we complete that task, we move on to the mobilization plan,” he added.

Khmara said the mobilization plan depends directly on an overall war plan that is still being developed.

He said he is working on those issues with Commander-in-Chief Mykhailo Drapatyi and the General Staff. The resulting plan will then be presented to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“The issue will then be assessed on the basis of the plan we develop,” Khmara concluded.

Yevhenii Khmara’s appointment as defense minister

Parliament appointed Serhiy Koretskyi as prime minister on July 16, replacing Yulia Svyrydenko, and approved a new government except for the foreign and defense ministers, whose nominations the president had not submitted.

The government appointed Yevhenii Khmara as acting defense minister and Andrii Sybiha as acting foreign minister on July 17.

Zelenskyy submitted Khmara’s nomination for defense minister and Sybiha’s nomination for foreign minister to parliament on Aug. 18.

Parliament appointed Khmara as Ukraine’s defense minister on Aug. 19. Addressing lawmakers, he said he had left military service.