On August 19, Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAPO initiated a special operation against lawmakers and presidential advisers, coinciding with a parliamentary vote on Yevhenii Khmara as defense minister. Ousted defense chief Mykhailo Fedorov, aged 35, called for wartime elections after his replacement, while thousands protested his ouster and President Zelenskiy appointed Mykhailo Drapatyi as top military commander. The events have prompted varied interpretations regarding institutional independence, governance stability, and wartime decision-making.