Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has offered the post of prime minister to Naftogaz chief Serhiy Koretskyi, according to Ukrainska Pravda, which cited sources. Earlier, both the Financial Times and RBC-Ukraine had named Koretskyi among the leading contenders for the job.
Serhiy Koretskyi is 48. He became chief executive of Naftogaz in 2025 after spending three years at the head of Ukrnafta following its nationalization. Ukraine’s Channel 24 reported that under his leadership the company moved from losses to profit and became one of the country’s most successful state-owned businesses.
Sources told Ukrainska Pravda that Zelensky had closely followed Koretskyi’s work and viewed him as “one of the strongest state managers.” When making the offer, the president reportedly named protecting Ukraine’s energy system and preparing for winter among the main priorities, as Russian attacks on energy facilities could make the coming season the hardest since the start of the full-scale war.
The publication’s sources said Koretskyi was surprised by the proposal but accepted it. They said he acknowledged that he did not yet fully grasp the scale of the challenges ahead, but was ready to try.
Ukrainska Pravda writes that Zelensky decided to reshuffle the cabinet after Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Olha Stefanishyna, informed him last week of her intention to leave diplomatic service. The outlet says the president then decided to appoint current Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko as the new ambassador in Washington. The Financial Times has also reported on her expected diplomatic move, noting that she had built ties with members of Donald Trump’s team while preparing a raw materials deal.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, the resignation of the prime minister would mean the resignation of the entire cabinet, although its new composition has not yet been determined. The outlet also highlights Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov: sources say Zelensky asked whether he was ready to lead the government, but he declined. At the same time, Ukrainska Pravda reports that Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko was told to be prepared for a possible move to the defense ministry.