From SBU special operations to defense chief: Inside Yevhenii Khmara’s rise

Yevhenii Khmara, the recently appointed head of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, has a background in special operations and extensive experience in technology-driven combat. A member of the SBU, Khmara initially served with the National Guard’s Omega Special Forces Center and specialized in mine warfare and explosives. He began his career with the SBU’s Special Operations Center “A,” or Alpha, in 2011 as a breacher, responsible for entering buildings first using explosives or tools.

Khmara later led a specialized team within Alpha, known as a separate unit requiring an even tougher selection process. His subordinates describe him as fair in resource distribution, thorough in training, and innovative in developing new capabilities, such as diving operations. The former head of Alpha, Roman Kostenko, met Khmara during a mine warfare training course and became his close colleague.

Kostenko credits Khmara’s ability to learn continuously and his frontline involvement in battles, such as Sievierodonetsk and Rubizhne in 2022, for his success. Khmara’s strategic focus on Ukraine’s defense efforts and his ability to wait patiently for results have earned him praise, particularly from Maria Berlinska, a Victory Drones project founder.

Despite demands from protesters and the uncompromising stance of dismissed minister Mykhailo Fedorov, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Khmara as the acting head of the Defense Ministry in mid-July. His background, leadership style, and results-driven approach have made him a trusted figure in Ukraine’s defense sector.