After initial setback, Ukrainian parliament appoints defense, energy ministers
The Ukrainian parliament on Jan. 14 appointed Mykhailo Fedorov as defense minister and Denys Shmyhal as energy minister and first deputy prime minister.
Fedorov had previously served as deputy prime minister and digital transformation minister before replacing Shmyhal in his position. The latter had led the Defense Ministry for less than six months.
Under Fedorov's leadership, the Digital Transformation Ministry spearheaded multiple projects, including drone production. He also played a key role in launching Brave1, a project that links his ministry with the Defense Ministry to advance military tech.
The parliament approved a proposed government reshuffle initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky on its second try. The day before, on Jan. 13, Shmyhal's appointment as energy minister was backed by 210 lawmakers, falling short of the 226 votes required to pass.
The Energy Ministry remained without a head for nearly two months, as Kyiv and other Ukrainian regions are facing a dire energy situation, with Russia targeting the country's critical infrastructure.
Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko were dismissed in November after being implicated in a major corruption scandal
Shmyhal was Ukraine’s longest-serving prime minister, holding the position from 2020 to 2025. From 2017 to 2019, he held a senior position at DTEK, Ukraine's biggest private energy firm, owned by the country’s richest man, Rinat Akhmetov.
Separately, the parliament appointed Dmytro Natalukha, a lawmaker from Zelensky's Servant of the People party, as the head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU). After the dismissal of former SPFU head Vitaliy Koval in the fall of 2024, Ivanna Smachylo had been serving as interim head.
As part of Zelensky's reshuffle, Kyrylo Budanov, the military intelligence chief, was appointed as the new head of the President's Office, while Oleh Ivashchenko, the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service, assumed Budanov's former role.
On Jan. 13, the parliament approved the resignations of Fedorov, Shmyhal and Head of Security Service (SBU) Vasyl Maliuk.
Zelensky had not yet proposed a new SBU head yet. As of now, Yevhen Khmara, head of the SBU's Alpha special operations unit, serves as interim head.
It's still unclear who will replace Fedorov as the digital transformation minister, with the justice minister role also remaining unfilled.
