Ukraine gets new PM amid protests over defense chief’s ouster

Ukraine’s parliament on Thursday approved Serhii Koretskyi, head of state energy firm Naftogaz, as the new prime minister.

He replaces Yulia Svyrydenko, who resigned Tuesday as part of a disputed government reshuffle ordered by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy offered only the vague explanation that Kyiv was “changing its political strategy” amid “new challenges and new tasks.”

He sees Koretskyi, 48, as a manager capable of leading the country through another tough winter marked by relentless Russian strikes on the energy system.

The Ukrainian leader has not fully explained the reasons for the shake-up, which triggered an outcry Thursday over the popular defense minister’s ousting.

“We weathered the harshest winter and ensured an uninterrupted supply of gas to Ukrainians, despite significant losses of our own production,” Koretskyi said in a parliamentary speech, citing his achievements as Naftogaz head.

“We have proven that government administration can and should be effective,” he added.

During the previous winter, Koretskyi led Naftogaz, the backbone of Ukraine’s heating system, as Russian drones and missiles sparked mass blackouts and heating outages amid freezing temperatures.

Early Thursday, protests erupted in several Ukrainian cities after news of the ousting of popular reformist Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, with demonstrators demanding his reinstatement.

The reshuffle comes at a pivotal moment in the more than four years of war, as Russia escalates its deadly ballistic missile strikes on Ukraine and Kyiv plans to produce Patriot air defense missiles domestically.