According to an Ukrinform correspondent, candidate for Ukraine's defense minister Yevhenii Khmara said this during his address to the Verkhovna Rada.

"The enemy can be forced to make peace only through the strength of our armed forces, our technological and symmetrical solutions. First and foremost, this means constantly updating and effectively applying technologies. We have erased distances. There are no longer any safe zones for facilities that fuel Russia's war. For the first time in history, we are striking targets even in Siberia," Khmara said.

He noted that Ukraine's targets include Russia's defense industry, military logistics, fuel infrastructure and the entire economic foundation of Russia's war effort. According to Khmara, Ukraine must act quickly and gain an advantage on the battlefield through the ingenuity and professionalism of commanders, the training of soldiers, innovation and modern weapons.

"We have three key priorities, equal in importance: the frontline and strengthening the armed forces, people, and the development of the defense industry," the candidate said.

According to Khmara, on the battlefield this means seizing the strategic initiative across all domains of war – on land, at sea, in the air and in the information space. The needs of the frontline, he added, must quickly reach the Ministry of Defense, while the ministry's decisions must reach the frontline.

"The military needs weapons – plenty of them, delivered on time, and precisely the weapons that produce results. With transparent procedures and without unnecessary bureaucracy, procurement will serve exclusively the frontline and the country's defense, rather than any particular interests. That is why we are adapting the system. That is why we are adapting the supply system to the pace of the war. We are also working with our allies to protect Ukrainian skies from Russian ballistic missiles," he added.

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Khmara thanked the countries that have supported Ukraine for years and separately emphasized the importance of deep-strike and mid-range strike capabilities. According to him, the operation against Novorossiysk and a series of previous successful strikes demonstrated the strength of cooperation among Ukraine's defense forces, weapons manufacturers and government institutions. "There will be more Ukrainian weapons, and the strikes will be more precise," he said.

The candidate for defense minister also emphasized the importance of human capital and protecting service members.

"Technology is needed so that Ukrainian defenders have an advantage and so that the risk to human life is reduced to a minimum. My task is to communicate directly with defenders, to listen to commanders, to listen to soldiers, to listen to the wounded," Khmara said.

He added that his own experience had taught him that a soldier is motivated when he feels respected, receives quality training and serves under fair rules.

"The defense industry is the foundation of our strength today and our security for years to come. Therefore, our task is to develop it and increase production," he said.

Khmara thanked the president for his trust and noted that during wartime, defending the state is the key priority for the entire government system.

"Every government body must ask itself what it is doing in the interests of defense. We share a common struggle and responsibility for ending the war," he concluded.

On July 14, the Verkhovna Rada approved Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko's resignation. The entire Cabinet automatically resigned along with her.

President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed Khmara to serve as acting defense minister and said that after the necessary legal procedures were completed, he would ask the Verkhovna Rada to support Khmara's appointment to the post.

With Zelensky's approval, the government appointed Yevhenii Khmara and Andrii Sybiha as acting defense and foreign ministers, respectively.

On August 18, Zelensky submitted nominations to the Verkhovna Rada for Sybiha to be appointed foreign minister and Khmara to be appointed defense minister.

On August 19, the Cabinet of Ministers decided to dismiss Khmara from his position as deputy defense minister.