Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with Denys Shmyhal on January 3, during which he proposed that he transition from the position of Minister of Defense to a new role as First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy. The relevant information was shared by the head of state on social media.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Changes in Energy Sector Leadership
Zelensky emphasized the importance of the systematic work that Shmyhal demonstrated at the Ministry of Defense and stressed that such an approach is now necessary for the effective modernization and protection of Ukrainian energy. The President noted that thanks to this systematic approach, the energy infrastructure will be able to recover quickly after each attack from Russia, and the development of the sector will meet the country’s needs.
“Thank you for the systematic work in the Ministry of Defense and the processes that were activated to ensure the protection of our state. Such systematicity is essential now for Ukrainian energy. It is important that after each Russian strike, we can promptly restore what has been destroyed and that the development of Ukrainian energy is stable and sufficient for Ukrainian needs. I have consulted with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and I expect parliamentary support for this approach and the position of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy for Denys Shmyhal,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram.
Personnel Changes in the Government
On January 2, Zelensky had already proposed to First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov to head the Ministry of Defense. Thus, the position of Minister of Energy remains vacant since November 19, when the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Svitlana Hrynchuk and Herman Halushchenko due to an NABU investigation regarding potential corruption in this area.
It is worth noting that on July 17, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada approved a new government led by Yulia Svyrydenko. Mykhailo Fedorov retained his role as First Deputy Prime Minister — Minister of Digital Transformation, while Denys Shmyhal was appointed Minister of Defense after being dismissed from the position of Prime Minister, which he held for over five years.
It was also announced today that Volodymyr Zelensky proposed Kyrylo Budanov to head the Office of the President of Ukraine. Budanov accepted this offer, stating that it is an “honor and responsibility — to focus on critically important issues of the country’s strategic security during a historic time for Ukraine.”
Later, the president announced the appointment of Oleg Ivashchenko, who had headed the Foreign Intelligence Service since March 2024, as the new head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. Zelensky promised to announce information about the new head of the Foreign Intelligence Service soon.