Ukraine is preparing a new wave of “deep strike”—what the new defense minister has been tasked with

20 August 00:29

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set tasks for the new Minister of Defense, Yevhen Khmara. Among the main requirements are expanding the scope of Ukraine’s precision strikes, increasing domestic weapons production, and strengthening air defense.

The head of state made this announcement in an evening address on August 19, commenting on the appointment of the new head of the Ministry of Defense, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"

What tasks has Zelenskyy set for Khmara?

According to the president, the new minister’s main task should be to effectively overhaul the entire defense system. This involves not only personnel decisions within the Ministry of Defense but also changes in several key areas:

the production of Ukrainian weapons;
the procurement of weapons and military equipment;
supplying necessary equipment directly to combat units;
the defense of Ukrainian airspace;
cooperation with foreign partners;
support for defensive and offensive operations;
developing long-range weapons systems.

Zelenskyy emphasized that the system must provide the military with everything necessary to repel Russian attacks, hold positions, and conduct active operations.

A separate task for the Ministry of Defense is to “expand the scope of our precision strikes.” In essence, this means increasing Ukraine’s capabilities to strike military, logistical, and other targets that support Russian aggression.

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What Does the Expansion of Ukrainian Deep Strikes Mean?

A “deep strike” refers to strikes carried out at a significant distance from the front lines. Their targets may include military airfields, ammunition depots, logistics hubs, defense industries, naval bases, and fuel and energy facilities involved in supporting the war effort.

Expanding the scope of such operations may mean more than just increasing the range. It also involves:

scaling up the production of long-range drones and missiles;
an increase in the number of strike platforms;
the combined use of aerial and maritime unmanned vehicles;
improved strike accuracy;
reducing the time between target detection and strike;
better coordination among the various components of the Defense Forces.

Even before his appointment as full-fledged minister, Yevhen Khmara himself cited the intensification of deep strikes against Russia as one of the key priorities.

According to him, Ukrainian operations must become more challenging for Russian air defenses, Ukrainian weapons must be deployed on a larger scale, and strikes must be more precise.

Which targets could come under attack

Khmara previously stated that Ukraine plans to increase pressure on targets that support the Russian war machine.

Among them, he named:

military and port infrastructure;
the Russian navy;
logistics routes;
defense industry enterprises;
fuel and energy facilities supporting the war effort;
weapons storage and supply bases.

This approach should force Russia to disperse its air defense systems, spend more resources on protecting its rear areas, and move production farther away from the Ukrainian border.

Khmara and Drapatiy Form a New Defense Duo

Zelenskyy specifically highlighted the collaboration between Yevhen Khmara and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykhailo Drapatiy.

They had previously agreed on open coordination and the prompt resolution of any potential disagreements. Among the agreed-upon areas of focus were support for the front lines, the development of long-range capabilities, the scaling up of military technologies, and maximizing the preservation of Ukrainian soldiers’ lives.

In this partnership, the Ministry of Defense will be responsible for resources, production, procurement, international aid, and the logistical support of military units. The military command will be responsible for planning and conducting operations and the effective use of the weapons received.

They plan to pay particular attention to technologies that allow combat missions to be carried out without direct human involvement: strike drones, ground-based robotic systems, remote mining systems, and automated control.

What Khmara Promised in the Verkhovna Rada

The Verkhovna Rada appointed Yevhen Khmara as Minister of Defense on August 19. A total of 312 members of parliament voted in favor of his nomination.

During his speech in parliament, Khmara outlined several key areas of focus:

strengthening the front lines and regaining the strategic initiative;
reducing Russian military capabilities;
reducing bureaucracy in the supply of combat units;
transparent arms procurement;
developing Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex;
protecting Ukrainian airspace from Russian ballistic missiles;
improving the training and service conditions of military personnel.

According to the minister, the needs of the front lines must be communicated quickly to the Ministry of Defense, and decisions made by the ministry must be implemented just as quickly by the troops.

The Ukrainian defense-industrial complex will be a separate priority. The ministry’s task is to expand the production of battle-tested systems and scale up new developments more quickly.

Who Is Yevhen Khmara

According to the Ministry of Defense’s official biography, Yevhen Khmara has about 20 years of service experience in special forces.

He began his service in 2006 with the “Omega” special operations unit, and since 2011 has served in the SBU’s Special Operations Center “A,” known as “Alpha.”

Khmara carried out combat missions in the Donetsk region after the start of Russian aggression in 2014, participated in the liberation of the Kyiv region, and fought in eastern Ukraine.

Starting in 2023, he headed the SBU’s Special Operations Center “A.” In January 2026, he became acting head of the SBU, and in July, he became acting head of the Ministry of Defense.

Prior to the vote in the Verkhovna Rada, Khmara was discharged from military service because, under Ukrainian law, the Minister of Defense must be a civilian.

What Zelenskyy Expects Before Winter

The president linked the Ministry of Defense’s new tasks to the need to strengthen Ukraine’s front lines and defenses as much as possible ahead of winter.

The key challenge will be the ministry’s ability to simultaneously ensure: