Ukraine’s Parliament on Thursday (July 16, 2026) approved Serhii Koretskyi, the head of state energy company Naftogaz, as the country’s new Prime Minister, as part of a major government reshuffle initiated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Mr. Zelenskyy nominated Mr. Koretskyi, citing his record in the energy sector and arguing that he was best placed to help prepare Ukraine for another wartime winter. He was voted in with 289 votes in favour.

The appointment came as hundreds of protesters gathered outside parliament to oppose Mr. Zelenskyy’s dismissal of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, after just six months in office, with critics warning the move could disrupt military reforms during the war.