Ukraine’s government undergoes significant personnel shifts

MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak announced the news.

The Rada approved the dismissals of Oleksandr Kamyshyn as Minister of Strategic Industries, Olha Stefanishyna as Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Ruslan Strilets as Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, and Denys Maliuska as Minister of Justice. 

However, they did not approve the dismissal of Minister of Reintegration Iryna Vereshchuk.

The Rada also failed to pass a resolution to remove Mariana Bezuhla from her role as Deputy Head of the National Security Committee, with only 205 MPs voting in favor.

Similarly, the Rada did not support the dismissal of Vitalii Koval from his position as Head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine. Only 225 MPs voted for his dismissal. The Rada had received his resignation letter the day before.

Purpose of government personnel changes

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the head of the President's Office, discussed the purpose of recent personnel changes in the government during an interview on RBC-Ukraine's YouTube channel.

Podolyak stated that Ukraine has entered a new phase in its war with Russia and therefore needs to revamp the executive branch. 

“I view any personnel changes positively. This is a reboot of the executive branch. We need to wait for all the dismissals and appointments to see who will remain in their roles, who will take on additional responsibilities, and who will move to other positions. We’ll be able to provide more detailed commentary once the new configuration of the executive branch is clear,” he said.

He also emphasized the country's evolving needs: “We are entering a new stage of the war, facing new financial and economic challenges, and preparing for the new heating season. There’s a need to rebuild the economy, strengthen foreign negotiations, and explain why investing in Ukraine or supplying weapons is beneficial for all parties involved.”

• Dmytro Kuleba also submitted his resignation as Minister of Foreign Affairs on September 4.  However, the Rada did not address his resignation before the session ended, so he remains in his position for now.