Zelenskyy cabinet shakeup puts Kyiv's winter resilience in focus

Volodymyr Zelenskyy's surprise move to overhaul his government and potentially install an energy executive as prime minister is the latest sign of the Ukrainian president's determination to spare his war-weary nation a repeat of last winter's hardships.

Zelenskyy said Sunday on social media that he planned to replace Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko as part of a broader change in "political strategy," a move that will trigger the resignation of the entire cabinet under Ukrainian law.

She's likely to be replaced by either Sergii Koretskyi, chief executive officer of state-run energy company NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, or former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, according to people familiar with the matter. They declined to be identified because they're not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Zelenskyy said that preparations for winter were among the reasons for the leadership changes, as Ukraine's power and heating infrastructure remain vulnerable to Russian ballistic-missile strikes and low supplies of interceptors.

"An extremely important priority is preparing for the winter, and Ukraine must be ready for any threats that may arise," Zelenskyy said in a statement.

In several of the latest Russian attacks on Kyiv, Ukraine's Air Force said none of the ballistic missiles were downed. Zelenskyy is expected in Paris on Monday for the meeting of the so-called coalition of the willing, where Ukraine's allies are likely to discuss more aid for Kyiv including for air defense.

Both Koretskyi, 48, and Shmyhal, 50, have extensive experience in the energy sector, which helps explain why they've emerged as the leading contenders to replace Svyrydenko.

Naftogaz is responsible for importing, producing and storing Ukraine's natural gas. While the country has faced major disruptions to electricity supplies during every wartime winter, it has avoided gas shortages while Koretskyi has been at the helm of the state-run company.

Svyrydenko served as Ukraine's prime minister for just shy of a year. She was widely seen as enjoying the backing of Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyy's former chief of staff who was once one of his most influential allies.

Yermak stepped down late last year amid a major corruption scandal involving several people from Zelenskyy's inner circle.

Svyrydenko largely avoided sharp criticism during her tenure, but she also failed to deliver any major reforms, focusing instead on social initiatives such as a one-time payment of 1,000 hryvnia ($22) to most Ukrainians to help households cope with winter.

She's expected to be appointed Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., according to one of the people familiar with the matter, as ties between Kyiv and Washington appear to be improving after President Donald Trump agreed last week to allow Kyiv to domestically produce much-needed Patriot air defense missiles.

Koretskyi, who is seen as the front-runner for the premier role, according to the people familiar, was part of Ukraine's delegation to the gathering of alliance leaders. Svyrydenko didn't attend.

Part of the reason for the shakeup could also be that the current ambassador to the U.S., Olha Stefanishyna, is returning home, Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Penta Research Institute in Kyiv, said in a phone interview. "It seems like the president was thinking about government changes, and now, in his personal style, he combined a whole series of personnel changes."

This is the second time Zelenskyy has replaced a prime minister and reshuffled his cabinet during the war. Last July, he asked Shmyhal to step down as prime minister after six years in office.

Then, earlier this year, the Ukrainian president appointed Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister.

Zelenskyy on Sunday also said he'd make changes in the leadership of the country's law enforcement agencies.

The moves come at a pivotal moment for Zelenskyy.

Ukrainian forces have managed to stall Russia's advance on the battlefield, regain some territory and carry out increasingly effective long- and medium-range drone strikes deep inside Russia. Those attacks have disrupted Russia's oil sector, triggering gasoline shortages that threaten to fuel public discontent.

At home, Zelenskyy and his government have faced several waves of criticism amid growing war fatigue, including over an explosion at a munitions depot near residential areas and violent clashes between potential conscripts and military recruitment officers.

At the same time, Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown little sign he's ready to negotiate an end to his war, now in its fifth year, instead sticking to maximalist demands.

Koretskyi, whose background includes work with private oil companies and a stint running state-owned oil producer Ukrnafta, has no political experience or ties to any political party. That may prove an advantage for Zelenskyy.

"He has a reputation as a good manager," Fesenko said. "He also has a reputation as a politically neutral player in the state leadership. He has no political ambitions of his own."

Koretskyi's potential appointment has even been welcomed by opposition lawmakers.

"Koretskyi is definitely a solid candidate," Yaroslav Zheleznyak, a lawmaker from the liberal Holos party, said on Facebook. "If this happens, it's probably a positive development."

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(With assistance from Kollen Post.)

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This story was originally published July 12, 2026 at 4:28 PM.