President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced newly appointed Minister of Defense Yevhenii Khmara to the staff of the Ministry of Defense.
The Head of State thanked the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada and the MPs who supported Yevhenii Khmara’s appointment as Minister of Defense, as well as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Chief of the General Staff, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, the Prime Minister, government officials, and commanders for their coordinated work with Yevhenii Khmara and the Ministry of Defense team.
“It is important to have full mutual understanding, real mutual support at every level between the Ministry of Defense and our army, above all, and a joint rapid response to all changes in this war,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President called on the Minister of Defense and everyone making decisions within the Defense Forces to align their actions with what the front, air defense, deep-strike operations, and mid-range strikes actually need.
According to the Head of State, the first priority is to conduct an audit of all agreements with partners: what has been implemented and what still awaits implementation.
“Air defense and anti-ballistic capabilities are a key priority, not the only one, but a key one, especially ahead of winter – you all know this well. There was an attack today – and the interception rate for cruise missiles is at a significant level; the interception of drones must be constantly increased,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Protecting cities and communities in the Kherson, Dnipro, Sumy, Chernihiv, and other frontline regions from daily Russian terror remains a separate challenge.
“We need to respond to this challenge. And likewise to the challenge posed by Russia’s guided bombs. We need our own capabilities that will be able to counter these strikes and Russian aviation,” the President emphasized.
Another task, according to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is to increase the number of deep strikes. Yevhenii Khmara has extensive experience in such operations from his time in the Security Service of Ukraine.
Real solutions and proposals are also needed on everything related to mobilization, contracts, and troop rotations.
“I very much expect systematic, joint work in this area from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ministry of Defense. And a more humane and systematic approach to resolving organizational issues in the military,” the Head of State added.
According to the President, particular attention should be paid to securing the resources needed for the defense sector. Funding is one of the greatest challenges and, at the same time, a shared task for the entire state.
Yevhenii Khmara thanked the President for his trust and noted that the same effectiveness with which he worked in the Alpha special unit and in the Security Service of Ukraine as a whole would now be applied at the Ministry of Defense. There are three key priorities: the front and strengthening the military, people, and the development of the defense industry.
According to the Minister of Defense, the warrior will be at the center of every decision – their life and health, the quality of training, supplies, weapons, medical care, and recovery. The Ministry of Defense will step up cooperation with partners and efforts to reinforce air defense, accelerate ballistic and anti-ballistic production programs, expand drone capabilities, and increase deep strikes and mid-range strikes.
“We have a clear task from the Supreme Commander-in-Chief: to streamline the system – our defense system, production and procurement, and supplies to the troops. Our task is to scale up what has already proven effective. To eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, speed up decision-making, and establish a more substantive connection between the Ministry and the front,” Yevhenii Khmara said.