President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced the start of a “major overhaul” that will encompass the defense sector, the State Bureau of Investigation, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The changes will involve rotations of key leaders and personnel shifts in several important state institutions.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Personnel Changes in the Cabinet and Ministries
Zelensky reminded that the renewal process began with the Cabinet of Ministers, but it is not yet complete, and new changes in the composition of ministries are expected soon. The President noted that he has already submitted candidates for the positions of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, as he had been waiting for proposals from members of parliament for a long time.
“I have waited long enough for proposals from parliamentarians. To be frank, let the faction discuss, together with parliamentarians and government officials, the candidate I am proposing.”
On January 3, Zelensky met with Denys Shmyhal and proposed that he move from the position of Minister of Defense to First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy. Earlier, on January 2, the president suggested Mykhailo Fedorov, who is the First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Transformation, to head the Ministry of Defense.
After the dismissal of Svitlana Hrynchuk and Herman Halushchenko from the positions of Minister of Energy and Minister of Justice on November 19, who were removed due to an investigation into possible corruption abuses, the position of head of the energy ministry remains vacant.
Defense Sector and Security Rotations
The President emphasized that the overhaul will also affect the Ministry of Defense. Personnel changes will begin after the new candidate for the position of Minister of Defense is approved by the Verkhovna Rada. Zelensky stated his intention to conduct rotations of “absolutely all leaders” in the security and law enforcement agencies.
Rotations will also take place in the State Bureau of Investigation, which the president has repeatedly emphasized. All these personnel processes are planned for January.
On July 17, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada voted for the composition of the government led by Yulia Svyrydenko. Mykhailo Fedorov remained in the position of First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Digital Transformation, while Denys Shmyhal was confirmed as Minister of Defense. Prior to this, Shmyhal had been the Prime Minister of the country for over five years.
It was also announced today that Volodymyr Zelensky proposed Kyrylo Budanov to head the Office of the President of Ukraine, to which Budanov agreed, emphasizing the importance of this mission for the country during this historic period. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense will now be headed by Oleg Ivashchenko, who previously served as the head of the Foreign Intelligence Service since March 2024. Information about the new head of the Foreign Intelligence Service will be announced shortly.