Defense Shake-Up & Protests: Zelenskyy defended sacking tech-minded Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, appointing acting SBU chief Yevhenii Khmara as acting defense minister and offering Ihor Klymenko the NSDC secretary role, but the move triggered rare wartime street protests and widened splits inside the military leadership. Government Leadership Change: Parliament confirmed energy executive Serhii Koretskyi as prime minister as Ukraine prepares for a “hard winter,” while the reshuffle left foreign and defense leadership briefly in legal limbo. Black Sea Pressure Campaign: Ukraine says it hit 159 vessels tied to Russia’s “shadow fleet” in 12 days, including new strikes on Crimea-linked shipping, as the “Molochka” operation deepens an energy and sanctions-evasion squeeze. Long-Range Strikes: Zelenskyy reported SBU destruction of a Tu-95 at Engels (about 800 km away) plus strikes on Russian oil facilities. International Support & Diplomacy: Ukraine’s new PM held his first IMF call on the next $690m tranche and 2027 budget steps; EU sanctions targeted drone-related entities of Russia’s military-industrial complex. Regional Fallout: Reported hate crimes against Ukrainians in Poland rose about 30% in the first half of 2026, amid ongoing political tensions. EU Integration Appointments: Taras Kachka was named head of Ukraine’s EU mission, combining EU-cluster work with trade representation.