Koretskyi Government

Background

A native of Lutsk, Serhii Koretskyi has not led any government position prior to his appointment as Prime Minister. He was a candidate for the position as the then-accomplished CEO of Naftogaz.^[2]

The choice of Koretskyi as the leading candidate for Prime Minister was connected by media, including Suspilne, to his experience in the energy sector. This, according to sources, was desired by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to prepare the country for its 2026 winter. The attacks of Russia on Ukrainian gas stations are also a consideration.^[2]

Appointment of Koretskyi

On 16 July 2026, Koretskyi was appointed by the Verkhovna Rada as Prime Minister. His nomination, which was submitted by President Zelenskyy, was approved by 289 members of parliament.^[3]

Appointment of the government

Dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov

The appointment of the Koretskyi Government and the following government reshuffle was followed by controversy, as President Zelenskyy dismissed Mykhailo Fedorov from the position of Minister of Defence of Ukraine. Popular among Ukrainian soldiers and the public,^[8] Fedorov was regarded as an effective government official^[9] and ranked as one of the public's most trusted figures in a June 2026 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.^[10]

It is speculated that the dismissal was followed by tension resulting from Fedorov's staunch stances for reforms^[11][10][9] that clashed with Oleksandr Syrskyi, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, across multiple issues.^{[clarification needed][8]} In a surprise move, Zelenskyy removed Fedorov from his position as part of a government reshuffle.^[11][8] This was followed by widespread protests across Ukraine's regions,^[12] something that is noted as unusual during the Russo-Ukrainian War.^[11]