Ukraine's parliament approves Serhii Koretskyi as new prime minister

Ukraine's parliament on Thursday approved Serhii Koretskyi as the country's new prime minister, in the latest government reshuffle.

During a parliamentary session in the Verkhovna Rada, a total of 289 deputies voted to support Koretskyi's candidacy for the post, which was vacated by Yulia Svyrydenko who resigned after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced plans to replace the Cabinet over the weekend.

"Preparing for winter is an extremely important priority, and Ukraine must be ready for every threat that may arise. The transformation of state-owned companies, on which Ukraine's resilience significantly depends, must be accelerated. Ukraine's agreements with its partners on recovery also require separate and focused attention," Zelenskyy had said after a meeting with Svyyrdenko on Sunday.

"Accordingly, personnel changes will begin in Ukraine to ensure the implementation of the updated political strategy," he said, adding that he offered Svyrydenko the "opportunity to lead a new and important area of relations with a key partner."

The resignation of Svyrydenko, who assumed the post in July 2025, was supported by the parliament in a vote on Tuesday, triggering resignation of the entire Cabinet under Ukrainian law.

According to parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, Zelenskyy submitted Koretskyi's nomination for prime minister to the Verkhovna Rada later that day.

A vote on Koretskyi's Cabinet is expected to he held in the parliament later on Thursday.

Koretskyi had been serving as CEO of Naftogaz, Ukraine's national oil and gas company, since May 2025.

In another vote held later the same day, Ukraine's parliament approved most members of the new Cabinet, backing 16 ministerial appointments proposed by newly Koretskyi.

Lawmakers approved the nominations in a 264 - 15 vote, with 19 abstentions and 20 who did not vote, according to a broadcast of the parliamentary session.

Under the Constitution, the candidates for defense and foreign minister are nominated separately by Zelenskyy rather than by the prime minister. As a result, those two appointments were not included in Thursday's vote.

According to the list published by parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk and lawmakers, several key ministers retained their positions in the new government.

Denys Shmyhal remained first deputy prime minister and energy minister; Serhii Marchenko was reappointed finance minister; Tetiana Berezhna retained the culture portfolio; while Health Minister Viktor Liashko and Sports Minister Matvii Bidnyi also kept their posts.

The Cabinet reshuffle follows parliament's vote earlier this week to dismiss Svyrydenko's government after Zelenskyy demanded a renewed executive team as part of what he described as an updated political strategy aimed at strengthening governance during the war.

Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Zelenskyy acknowledged for the first time that tensions between the Defense Ministry and the General Staff triggered the reshuffle.

He said problems in their interaction existed "at different levels" and extended beyond the disagreements between outgoing Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.

Zelenskyy added that unresolved issues had accumulated in areas including mobilization, the work of military recruitment centers, the situation in some brigades and other frontline challenges.

"I would very much like to see unity. The sides did not find it. And this is not only their problem, but also mine,” he said. “It cannot be that one side wins and another alone bears responsibility. We win together and we are responsible together.”

Fedorov would remain part of his team, although his future role has yet to be announced, he said.

Zelenskyy also confirmed that former Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko is among the candidates being considered for defense minister, saying his experience in "restoring order" and addressing problems related to mobilization could be one of his strengths.

He stressed, however, that no final decision on the Defense Ministry's leadership has been made.

Ukrainian media previously reported protests in several cities against Fedorov's dismissal.