"Shahed" drone interceptors, a $27 billion budget shortfall, and a conversation with Fedorov: what Defense Minister Khmara told reporters

His statements were reported by the Interfax-Ukraine and Ukrinform news agencies.

On Russia’s plans and the enemy’s mobilization

The head of the Defense Ministry emphasized that for Ukraine, this war is a matter of survival, while for the Kremlin, it is an attempt to rebuild an empire.

According to the minister, due to massive losses on the front lines, Russia is considering a new wave of mobilization—recruiting about 300,000 people this year and the same number next year.

Drone Defense: Four Jet-Powered “Shahed” Interceptors

The head of the Ministry of Defense reported progress in countering enemy drones. Ukraine has already developed and tested four potential interceptors capable of shooting down jet-powered versions of “Shahed” drones.

Currently, the main task for the ministry and the domestic defense industry is to bring these solutions into mass production as quickly as possible and scale them up to thousands of units.

A $27 Billion Shortfall: How the Defense Budget Will Be Covered

Responding to a question about funding for the Armed Forces, Khmara confirmed that the current shortfall stands at $27 billion, but the Ministry of Defense already has specific options for resolving this problem.

The first approach involves securing and utilizing a portion of the European loan allocated for next year. The second involves actively engaging with partner countries that have not yet joined this financial framework or are able to increase their contributions to meet Ukraine’s specific defense needs.

Saving Lives and the New Role of Commanders

The minister identified human capital and treating every defender with dignity as the foundation of the Defense Forces. According to him, the key task is to increase commanders’ responsibility for saving the lives of their subordinates.

He noted the need for a balance between “forces” (people) and “means” (weapons). If there are not enough weapons, this leads to the ineffective deployment of fighters and casualties. Therefore, Ukraine’s response should not be to maximize the number of personnel deployed, but rather to provide high-quality equipment to the minimum necessary number of personnel.

Extending the War into Russian Territory and Personnel Decisions

The minister spoke about the importance of strikes into the enemy’s strategic and operational depth (deep strike, middle strike), the destruction of its radar systems and air defense, as well as the creation of economic and cognitive effects. To this end, Ukraine’s defense-industrial complex will attract new investments and develop its export potential. Hanna Hvozdiar will serve as Deputy Minister for Defense-Industrial Complex and Export Affairs.

In addition, the Ministry of Defense is strengthening its efforts in digital transformation and cognitive warfare. A candidate with combat experience is being considered for the digital position, and a candidate has already been selected for the cognitive operations division.

Regarding leadership succession, Khmara noted that in July he had suggested to the former head of the ministry, Mykhailo Fedorov, that they find a model for continuing their joint work on projects.

The minister added that he did not specify any particular positions and has not yet received a response from Fedorov, but he aims to retain the current Defense Ministry team.

As a reminder, on August 19, the Verkhovna Rada appointed Yevhen Khmara as Ukraine’s Minister of Defense. Before the vote, he announced that he had resigned from military service. Ukrainian law stipulates that the Minister of Defense must be a civilian.

During his address to the Verkhovna Rada, the newly appointed minister outlined three key priorities for his work: strengthening the front lines, developing human capital, and expanding the defense-industrial complex.