Zelenskyy backs energy chief for Ukraine prime minister

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has backed the head of state energy company Naftogaz to become prime minister as he presses ahead with a broad government reshuffle that has unsettled some lawmakers by removing Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov despite recent battlefield gains against Russia.

Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Sergii Koretskyi, chief executive of Naftogaz, is the best candidate to replace Yulia Svyrydenko, whose resignation as prime minister was accepted by parliament Tuesday. Parliament is expected to vote on her replacement Thursday, Al Jazeera reported, and is likely to approve Zelenskyy’s preferred candidate because his party holds a majority of seats.

“The priorities are clear – preparing for winter,” Zelenskyy said Wednesday. “Therefore, following all the consultations, Sergii Koretskyi is surely the most prepared candidate for the post of prime minister of Ukraine.”

The shake-up comes as Kyiv braces for another winter of Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Last winter was the harshest since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, with cities enduring weeks-long power and heating outages as Russia struck the grid. Ukrainian officials have warned that more work is needed to prevent similar disruption this year.

Zelenskyy has described the changes as part of a new political strategy aimed at strengthening foreign policy and improving domestic resilience. “Each priority area of foreign policy will be assigned to a specific person with substantial experience who is capable of implementing what we agree on at the leaders’ level and what the Ukrainian people expect,” he wrote on X. “Preparing for winter is an extremely important priority, and Ukraine must be ready for every threat that may arise.”

Oleg Dunda, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, told CBS News the reshuffle was linked to concerns about winter preparations. “The reason was the Svyrydenko cabinet’s failure to prepare adequately for the winter,” he said. “As far as I know, the implementation of the resilience plans was unsatisfactory. And so the question arose: Either try to strengthen this area in time, or let this cabinet take full responsibility.”

Yuriy Sak, an adviser to Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries, told CBS News that Koretskyi may be suited to the task. “He is a real technocrat,” Sak said. “The winter is coming, and there is a need to strengthen the energy sector and efficiency.”

A prime minister’s resignation automatically triggers the resignation of the entire cabinet, setting up a wider reshuffle. Fedorov, 35, who took over the Defence Ministry six months ago after leading technology reforms at the Ministry of Digital Transformation, announced his resignation Wednesday. He is widely credited with pushing military innovation and has been associated with Ukraine’s recent campaign of long-range drone strikes, including attacks on Russian energy targets and efforts to disrupt fuel and logistics flows to Crimea.

Lawmakers said after meeting Zelenskyy that he planned to appoint Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko to the defence post, Al Jazeera reported. The prospect drew criticism from some officials and civil society figures.

“Fedorov… is highly respected amongst our international partners,” Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee and a member of Zelenskyy’s party, wrote on social media. “His name was associated with hopes for genuine reforms within the Ministry of Defence.”

Maria Berlinska, a volunteer and drone warfare advocate, called Fedorov’s replacement “one of President Zelenskyy’s biggest mistakes,” saying, “This decision by the president will not only cost us, it will cost us hugely. The price will be the lives and health of hundreds of thousands of people … if not more.”

CBS News reported that officials said Zelenskyy is expected to appoint Svyrydenko as Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States. Ukraine’s current ambassador in Washington, Olha Stefanishyna, submitted her resignation this week.

Zelenskyy said the new strategy also includes foreign policy priorities such as agreements to manufacture Patriot air defence systems under licence, advancing Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership and deepening ties with the Gulf region.