Zelensky unveils new cabinet nominees in major government reshuffle
Editor's note: This item has been updated to include additional details.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has unveiled a new slate of cabinet nominees as part of a sweeping government shake-up that replaced the prime minister and dissolved the entire cabinet.
The president submitted a proposal to parliament nominating former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal as Ukraine's new defense minister, he said in an evening address on July 16.
"Today, I have already signed documents to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding Denys Shmyhal as the new defense minister," Zelensky said.
The nomination follows the formal acceptance of Shmyhal's resignation by parliament earlier in the day, which dismissed his government and launched a cabinet reshuffle. The vote to accept his resignation passed with 261 lawmakers in support and none opposed.
Shmyhal served as prime minister for over five years. He announced his resignation on July 15, thanking Zelensky for his trust and his ministers for their "tireless work" on behalf of Ukraine.
Zelensky has tapped First Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to replace Shmyhal. The 39-year-old economist has served in the cabinet since 2021 and was previously deputy head of the Presidential Office.
Parliamentary leader David Arakhamia confirmed that Zelensky's Servant of the People party, which holds a majority in parliament, backs her candidacy.
"We know Yuliia Svyrydenko well from work as a competent and professional person who is capable of leading the government in such a difficult period," Arakhamia wrote.
Strategic Industries Minister Herman Smetanin will take over as head of Ukroboronprom, Ukraine's largest state-owned defense manufacturer, Zelensky added. Smetanin had previously led the agency responsible for defense-industrial development.
"Right now, Ukrainian-made weapons account for about 40% of what's used on the front lines and in all our operations," Zelensky said. "The volumes are indeed large. But we need more."
Zelensky presented additional cabinet nominees during a faction meeting earlier in the day, according to Arakhamia, who shared the list on Telegram.
According to him, in the incoming government, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov will become the first deputy prime minister.
The Economy, Ecology, and Agriculture ministries will be merged into a single agency led by Oleksiy Sobolev, currently Svyrydenko's deputy at the Economy Ministry.
Taras Kachka, another of Svyrydenko's deputies, will replace Olha Stefanishyna as deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration.
Lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak earlier said that Stefanishyna will not be given a position in the new cabinet and may be appointed an ambassador to the EU.
The Social Policy Ministry will be renamed the Ministry for Social Policy, Family, and Unity, to be led by Denys Uliutin, the first deputy finance minister.
Svitlana Grynychuk, the ecology minister, will become energy minister, replacing Herman Halushchenko, who will move to the Justice Ministry.
Halushchenko had faced criticism in parliament earlier this year, with lawmakers citing alleged corruption and mismanagement in the energy sector.
Zelensky previously said on July 10 that he is considering appointing current Defense Minister Rustem Umerov as Ukraine's next ambassador to the United States.
Under Ukraine's semi-presidential system, the president nominates the prime minister, who must be approved by parliament. The prime minister then proposes ministerial candidates, who also require confirmation.
