Ukrainian government reshuffle: PM Shmyhal may become defence minister

Jul 15, 2025 - 02:02

Current Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is expected to be appointed as minister of defence, with First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko set to take over as head of government.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda sources in the Ukrainian government, President’s Office and Parliament

Details: Oleksii Soboliev, currently First Deputy Minister of Economy, is expected to replace Svyrydenko as economy minister.

Most of the current ministers are likely to remain in post:

Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Recovery, Minister of Community and Territorial Development – may be promoted to first deputy prime minister
Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration
Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation and Minister of Digital Transformation
Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs
Serhii Marchenko, Minister of Finance
Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Herman Smetanin, Minister of Strategic Industries
Matvii Bidnyi, Minister of Youth and Sports
Herman Halushchenko, Minister of Energy
Svitlana Hrynchuk, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources
Nataliia Kalmykova, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs

Several ministers, according to Ukrainska Pravda sources, have been confirmed as leaving their posts:

Rustem Umierov, Defence Minister, who is expected to become Ukraine’s new ambassador to the United States
Oleksii Chernyshov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for National Unity – this recently created ministry is likely to be abolished
Oksana Zholnovych, Minister of Social Policy – her replacement is still being considered
Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science – may be replaced by his current deputy, Andrii Vitrenko
Mykola Tochytskyi, Minister of Culture and Strategic Communications – no known successor yet

The future roles of Agrarian Policy Minister Vitalii Koval and Health Minister Viktor Liashko remain unclear.

Background:

Ukrainska Pravda sources in the government and Parliament said that a new Cabinet of Ministers (the government of Ukraine) is to be appointed by the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) on 17 July, the day after the vote on the current members’ removal from their posts.
On 14 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed that First Deputy Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko become the head of the Ukrainian government.
Ukrainska Pravda had reported that a government reshuffle was expected in Ukraine in July. Sources said Svyrydenko was set to become the new prime minister and would bring at least three close allies into the Cabinet of Ministers.

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