The Ministry of Defense Wants to Change the Approach to Commanders' Accountability
Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara stated that commanders must be accountable for service members not only during the recruitment process, but throughout their entire time in the military. This includes training, logistics support, integration into the unit, and the execution of combat missions with as few casualties as possible.
According to the minister, human capital should become one of the Ministry of Defense’s main priorities. This involves attracting people to the Defense Forces, training them, developing their skills, and creating conditions that allow them to effectively carry out their duties. Khmara emphasized that service members must be treated with dignity, and commanders at all levels must take greater responsibility for protecting the lives of their personnel. “The foundation of the Defense Forces is its people and the dignified treatment of service members. The key is to increase the accountability of commanders at all levels for preserving lives,” the minister said.
In his view, a commander must be responsible for a soldier from the moment he or she joins the unit until combat missions are carried out. “A commander who recruits people into his unit must be responsible not only for the act of recruitment itself. He must be responsible for the soldier’s entire journey: training, equipping, passing on combat experience, integration into the unit, and subsequent deployment on the battlefield,” Khmara noted.
Separately, the minister drew attention to the ratio of personnel to equipment. According to him, it is not possible to simply increase the number of troops if the unit lacks sufficient equipment and other necessary resources. “Forces refer to personnel. Resources are the weapons and equipment with which these personnel are outfitted. If forces and resources are in balance, units operate effectively,” Khmara explained.
If, however, there are more troops than there are resources to equip them, this can lead to the inefficient use of personnel and, as a result, to greater losses. Therefore, according to the minister, Ukraine should recruit the minimum number of troops necessary but equip those who are already carrying out missions as well as possible. “If there are fewer resources, this leads to the inefficient use of personnel. And that, in turn, leads to casualties. Therefore, the response to the enemy’s actions should not be to increase the number of personnel in the military. Ukraine must deploy the minimum number of personnel required and equip those carrying out missions to the highest possible standard,” he emphasized.
Khmara also stated that on the front lines, ways must be found to utilize available personnel so that soldiers can carry out their missions more effectively and with less risk to their lives. The minister identified long-range strikes on Russian territory as another priority. According to him, Ukraine must employ “deep strike” and “middle strike” tactics in a way that yields not only military but also economic benefits.
Specifically, this refers to strikes on facilities that support Russia’s defense industry and military capabilities. Khmara also mentioned the psychological impact of such operations and their integration with cyber operations. “Ukraine must strike Russia in a way that achieves an economic impact, reduces the enemy’s defense-industrial capabilities, and creates a significant cognitive effect,” the minister said.
He explained that to achieve objectives in operational depth, it is first necessary to weaken the Russian defense system. “Operational depth consists of radar systems, air defense systems, and electronic warfare assets—the elements that protect the enemy’s strategic depth. To reach that area, Ukraine needs to systematically neutralize these assets and have units capable of operating effectively and comprehensively in operational depth,” Khmara noted.
He identified the development of Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex as another important task. According to the minister, the defense-industrial complex must not only be supported but also protected and developed. It must provide the Armed Forces with the necessary weapons and equipment, both now and in the future. “It is important to strengthen the defense-industrial complex and build a high-quality export operation. This is part of Ukraine’s capacity to produce more and work more effectively with partners,” Khmara concluded.
Yevhen Khmara officially became acting Minister of Defense on July 20. On August 19, 2026, the Verkhovna Rada appointed him Minister of Defense of Ukraine. Prior to that, starting in August 2025, Khmara headed the “A” Special Operations Center of the Security Service of Ukraine. From January through July 2026, he served as acting head of the SBU. Khmara mentioned this during a meeting with journalists.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is seeking solutions to cover a $27 billion defense funding shortfall. Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara stated that among the options are drawing on part of the European loan planned for next year, as well as requesting additional assistance from countries that have not yet joined in providing financial support to Ukraine.
