This view was expressed on Espreso TV by Serhiy Zgurets, CEO of Defense Express media and consulting company and military expert.“Shmyhal is now the third defense minister since Russia’s full-scale invasion. History is repeating itself for the third time, with a former deputy prime minister or prime minister stepping into the role of defense minister. Few remember that this first happened with Valeriy Shmarov, and later with Yuriy Yekhanurov,” Zgurets noted.Sharing his expectations, Zgurets stressed: “The defense minister must be a strategist — shaping the vision for the development of both the defense system and the Armed Forces. But lately, it seems the ministry has been reduced to a procurement agency. In fact, its responsibilities go far beyond procurement — covering training, reforms, and coordination with the defense industry.”He added that Shmyhal will now oversee the Ministry of Strategic Industries, which has been dissolved, while Ukroboronprom — its key division — is now under the Ministry of Defense. “This means the new defense minister will be responsible for everything: from weapons development and production to supplying the army,” Zgurets said.Serhiy Zgurets highlighted the new defense minister’s priorities, noting that Shmyhal himself emphasized the need to meet the requirements of every soldier — from ammunition to advanced communication systems.“He also stressed the importance of increasing weapons production and raising the share of locally produced equipment at our enterprises. The third priority he mentioned was ensuring the smooth operation of the ministry.Today alone, Shmyhal held at least three meetings: one with deputy ministers in the morning, then another with the Chief of the General Staff and the Commander-in-Chief, where they discussed areas of cooperation.Regarding presidential directives, the president announced a report from the new defense minister outlining short- and long-term tasks. These include ramping up the production of long-range drones to enable systematic strikes on Russia. The new action plan addressing these needs is expected by July 21,” Zgurets said.He also emphasized that on July 21, Shmyhal will participate in the next Ramstein meeting as the Minister of Defense.“The meeting will be held online, with the participation of the NATO Secretary General, the new NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth,” Zgurets added. “This will finally introduce a new format for dialogue with the U.S. on arms supplies, as well as cooperation with European partners, who have been trying for some time to compensate for the lack of American assistance.”The military expert also expressed surprise at reports that Rustem Umerov would continue to oversee arms supplies and related matters.“The NSDC Secretary has a defined set of responsibilities — preparing presidential decisions, drafting orders for the High Command, and similar tasks — without playing an active role in foreign policy or contacts with other countries,” Zgurets explained. “However, this may change, given that Umerov already has ties with the U.S. and Turkey, where some weapons are produced and supplied to Ukraine, though not to the extent experts once hoped Turkey would engage.”According to him, this area of responsibility will likely be taken over more by Shmyhal than by Umerov.“As defense minister, Shmyhal must assert himself as someone who can activate existing contacts and boost both weapon supplies and domestic arms production. I don’t think Shmyhal will cede this role to the NSDC secretary. We can expect a series of active moves by the defense minister soon, aimed at demonstrating real progress. This comes against the backdrop of the legacy Umerov left to Shmyhal. Umerov’s role in the Defense Procurement Agency and other activities suggests he was more focused on foreign policy and less involved in the Ministry of Defense’s core work — which raised questions. The defense minister, however, should be driving systemic reforms and improving the functioning of this crucial ministry,” Zgurets concluded.On July 17, the Verkhovna Rada approved a new Cabinet of Ministers, appointing former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal as Ukraine’s Minister of Defense.Meanwhile, Zelenskyy appointed former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.