Zelensky replaces prime minister ahead of winter: top candidates are Koretsky and Shmyhal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced plans to replace Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko as part of a change in “political strategy,” which under Ukrainian law automatically triggers the resignation of the entire Cabinet of Ministers.

This was reported by Bloomberg.

According to sources familiar with the situation who wished to remain anonymous, the leading candidates for the post of head of government are Serhiy Koretsky or Denys Shmyhal. Both contenders have significant experience in the energy sector.

Koretsky, currently 48, heads NAK Naftogaz of Ukraine. Under his leadership, the country managed to avoid a gas shortage during wartime winters despite constant destruction and electricity supply restrictions. The 50-year-old Shmyhal also has considerable management experience and a deep understanding of the fuel and energy sector.

Zelensky cited the need for intensified preparations for winter as the main reason for the personnel reshuffle. Ukraine’s energy and heating infrastructure remains extremely vulnerable to strikes by Russian ballistic missiles amid limited stocks of interceptor missiles for air defense. During the latest air attacks on Kyiv, the Ukrainian Air Force stated that none of the enemy’s ballistic missiles could be shot down.

In connection with this, Zelensky is traveling to Paris for a meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” where Ukraine’s allies are expected to discuss the allocation of additional aid to Kyiv, in particular the strengthening of air defense systems. Notably, Koretsky has already joined the Ukrainian delegation for this meeting, while Svyrydenko missed the event.

Svyrydenko headed the Cabinet of Ministers for nearly a year. Her appointment was at the time linked to the support of Andriy Yermak, the former head of the presidential office, who left his post at the end of last year following a high-profile corruption scandal. During her tenure, Svyrydenko avoided sharp criticism but did not implement large-scale reforms, focusing instead on social programs — in particular, the payment of 1,000 hryvnias to most Ukrainians to support households during winter. She is now set to be appointed Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States.

Vladimir Fesenko, head of the Penta Center for Applied Political Research, noted that the personnel rotations are also connected to the return home of the current ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna.

“The president, in his signature style, combined several important personnel decisions into one package,” Fesenko said.

For Zelensky, this is already the second major reshuffling of the Cabinet during the full-scale war. Last July, he asked Shmyhal to resign as prime minister after six years in the role, and Mykhailo Fedorov was appointed minister of defense. The head of state has now also announced changes in the leadership of law enforcement agencies.

The reshuffles are taking place against a backdrop of growing domestic discontent: the government has been criticized over explosions at ammunition depots near residential buildings and conflicts during mobilization involving military recruitment center staff. The candidacy of Koretsky, who previously headed Ukrnafta and has no political ties, has received a positive assessment even from the opposition. Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a member of parliament from the Holos party, called him a strong candidate on social media, saying his appointment would be a positive step.