Ukraine’s Defense Minister Appointment Postponed as Serhii Koretskyi Is Approved as Prime Minister

Serhii Koretskyi became Ukraine's new prime minister on July 16 after the Verkhovna Rada approved his candidacy, RBC-Ukraine reported, citing the parliament's live broadcast.

Koretskyi is a Ukrainian manager who has headed the state energy company Naftogaz since 2025, according to RBC-Ukraine. Before that, he built extensive experience in private business and in running state-owned energy enterprises.

The reshuffle remains incomplete despite the vote, with the defense ministry—one of the government’s most important portfolios—still without a minister. Parliament did not vote on a defense minister the same day.

People’s Deputy of Ukraine Mariia Mezentseva stated to the media that the ruling faction would hold additional consultations because Klymenko had reportedly turned down the post.

People’s Deputy Yaroslav Zhelezniak also requested consultations between parliamentary factions, parliamentary groups, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the future nominee.

“The speaker announced that we will hold such consultations after the appointment of the prime minister,” Zhelezniak wrote on Telegram.

At the same time, Ukrainians gathered for peaceful demonstrations in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, and other cities across the country following the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

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