New defence minister nominee may face team gap as Fedorov allies prepare to leave – Ukrainska Pravda

Ukrainska Pravda has learned that after Yevhenii Khmara is appointed defence minister, he will have to assemble his own team, as some members of his predecessor Mykhailo Fedorov's team are likely to leave the ministry to join him on other projects.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda article A general in a civilian post: the workaround that will enable Khmara to succeed Fedorov at the Defence Ministry (English translation coming soon)

Details: Sources within the Defence Ministry told Ukrainska Pravda that after the new minister is appointed, some members of Fedorov's team plan to leave the ministry and join him on his next projects.

One Ukrainska Pravda source from Fedorov's team believes this could create a staffing problem for Khmara because the new minister does not have his own team or candidates for some senior positions.

Quote from the UP source in Fedorov's team: "So the question now is how Khmara will move forward, given that he won't have a team and has no one to appoint to the top positions. I don't think he has candidates even for the directorates... The best thing Mykhailo could leave behind for Khmara would be the current deputy ministers and key managers."

Background:

• On 12 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a Cabinet reshuffle and changes to the heads of law enforcement agencies. On 14 July, the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) approved Yuliia Svyrydenko's resignation as prime minister, a decision which entailed the resignation of the entire government.
• Public discontent has grown over what many regard as the unjustified dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Since 16 July, protests have been held in cities across Ukraine calling for him to be reinstated.
• Zelenskyy offered Fedorov a number of other posts, but he turned them down, saying he wanted to focus his efforts on continuing the reform of the Defence Ministry.
• Zelenskyy put Yevhenii Khmara temporarily in charge of the Defence Ministry. Khmara had served as acting head of the Security Service of Ukraine since Vasyl Maliuk's resignation.
• On 18 August, Zelenskyy submitted a nomination to parliament for Yevhenii Khmara to be appointed as defence minister and Andrii Sybiha as foreign minister.

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