Korytskyi Appointed Ukraine’s Prime Minister as Protests Erupt over Defense Minister’s Resignation
Ukraine’s Parliament approved on Thursday the appointment of Serhii Korytskyi, head of the state-owned energy group Naftogaz, as the country’s new Prime Minister.
Korytskyi’s appointment comes as part of a cabinet reshuffle initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Ukraine’s Parliament announced on social media that 289 of the 318 lawmakers voted in favor of “appointing Serhii Korytskyi as Prime Minister of Ukraine.”
Born on March 14, 1978, Serhii Korytskyi is a prominent Ukrainian businessman and senior executive. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of the Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz since May 14, 2025. He was appointed Prime Minister following the resignation of Yuliia Svyrydenko.
Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered on Thursday in several major Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, to protest the resignation of Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, who enjoys broad public support across the country.
AFP correspondents reported that more than 1,000 people assembled in a central square in Kyiv, waving Ukrainian and European Union flags while chanting slogans such as “Shame!” and “Bring Fedorov back!” one day after he announced his resignation as part of the government reshuffle.
Just six months after taking office, Fedorov had established a strong reputation as a reform-minded official committed to modernizing Ukraine’s armed forces after more than four years of war.
Growing Uncertainty
His removal threatens to create uncertainty within the military at a time when Ukraine is considered to be in one of its strongest battlefield positions in recent months, having slowed Russian advances and carried out long-range drone strikes against Russian oil facilities and military installations.
On Wednesday evening, Fedorov announced his resignation, stating, “It has been a tremendous honor to serve the Ukrainian people.”
No official explanation was provided for the decision, which protesters believe reflects an internal power struggle within Ukraine’s military establishment between Fedorov and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Local media also reported demonstrations in several other cities, including Lviv, Odesa, and Dnipro. President Zelensky has not yet appointed a successor to Fedorov as part of a broader government reshuffle that also included the replacement of the Prime Minister.
Pavlo Yelizarov, the Deputy Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, also resigned in protest over Fedorov’s dismissal.
In his resignation statement, he said: “It has been a great honor to work alongside Mykhailo Fedorov. In 2022, I joined the Armed Forces to achieve victory, not to create the illusion of accomplishment.”
