Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has proposed that Denys Shmyhal take the position of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Ukraine. Zelenskyy announced the decision on social media.
“It is important that after every Russian strike we can promptly restore what has been destroyed, and that the development of Ukraine’s energy sector remains stable and sufficient to meet domestic needs,” Zelenskyy said.
The President has held relevant consultations with Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and expects lawmakers to support this approach.
Who is Shmyhal?
Denys Shmyhal has headed the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine since July 2025, after serving as Prime Minister of Ukraine for five years.
Before joining the government, he worked as the head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration.
He began his professional career in the private sector. In particular, from 2017 to 2019, he held senior management positions in the energy sector, serving as Deputy CEO for Social Affairs at DTEK Zakhidenergo.
Ministry of Energy
As previously reported, the Cabinet of Ministers appointed Artem Nekrasov as acting Minister of Energy at a meeting on November 19.
At the same time, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Svitlana Hrynchuk from the position of Minister of Energy of Ukraine after she appeared on the so-called “Mindich tapes” in a case related to large-scale corruption in Ukraine’s energy sector.