By Reuters

The following article was published on 15 Jul 202615 Jul 2026.

The reshuffle comes as Ukraine prepares for winter and ongoing conflict with Russia.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has endorsed Sergii Koretskyi, the head of state energy firm Naftogaz, as the ideal candidate for prime minister, as the country experiences its second cabinet reshuffle within a year.

“The priorities are clear – preparing for winter,” Zelenskyy said on Wednesday as Kyiv braces for another season of expected Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid. “Therefore, following ⁠all the consultations, Sergii Koretskyi is surely the ⁠most prepared candidate for the post of prime minister of Ukraine.”

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Should parliament approve him, Koretskyi would replace Yulia Svyrydenko, who was dismissed by Zelenskyy after only one year in the role.

Parliament accepted Svyrydenko’s resignation as prime minister ⁠on Tuesday and is expected to vote on her replacement on Thursday. The chamber is likely to go with Zelenskyy’s preferred candidate because his party controls a majority of the seats in parliament.

New ‘political strategy’

A prime minister’s resignation automatically triggers the resignation of the entire cabinet, meaning a wider shake-up is expected.

Particular attention has ⁠turned to the fate of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov at a time when the tide on ⁠the battlefield has been shifting in Ukraine’s ⁠favour as it presses a campaign of long-range drone attacks on Russia.

Fedorov, 35, is a promoter of technological innovations who comes from outside the Ministry of Defence establishment and took charge ‌there six months ago.

Asked whether Fedorov would retain his post as defence minister in the new cabinet, Zelenskyy said he would meet Fedorov ‌and ‌the army leadership on Wednesday before a planned meeting with lawmakers from the ruling party.

Zelenskyy has offered little explanation for the latest shake-up, saying only that Ukraine is pursuing a new “political strategy” that requires new appointments, including in government and law enforcement.

He said the new political strategy would focus on key foreign policy priorities, including agreements to manufacture Patriot air defence systems under licence, advancing Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership and deepening ties with the Gulf region, which he described as one of the world’s “most promising” areas for security and economic cooperation.

The choice of an energy sector leader for prime minister underscores Kyiv's focus on fortifying the grid against Russian attacks. The possible retention of Defence Minister Fedorov suggests continuity in military strategy. The reshuffle signals Zelenskyy's pursuit of a new political strategy without detailed explanation.