New Ukrainian defence minister takes office as ousted predecessor calls for wartime elections

Ukrainian lawmakers appointed Yevhenii Khmara as the new defence minister on Wednesday following the dismissal of his predecessor, Mykhailo Fedorov. The transition occurs amid political unrest, including public protests and new corruption allegations involving a senior presidential aide. Meanwhile, Fedorov has sparked controversy by calling for wartime elections, a move widely viewed as populist given that 57 percent of Ukrainians oppose voting during the ongoing conflict with Russia.