Zelensky replaces defense minister
Shmigal, 49, has served as prime minister since 2020, navigating the Kiev government through the Covid-19 pandemic and the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022. In a video address on Monday evening, Zelensky praised Shmigal's experience in managing the country's limited resources, saying it would be valuable in his new role.
'Denis Shmigal's extensive experience will definitely be valuable in the position of Ukraine's defense minister – it is precisely in this area that the country's resources are currently concentrated, the number of tasks is at its peak, and the responsibility is immense,' Zelensky said.
Zelensky has also proposed Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko as Shmigal's replacement as prime minister. Sviridenko, 39, who gained prominence for brokering a deal that granted the US preferential access to Ukrainian mineral resources, has said she will soon present her proposed cabinet and government action plan.
The reshuffle will require parliamentary approval once Shmigal formally submits his resignation. A vote on dismissing the current cabinet is reportedly expected as early as July 16.
Outgoing defense minister Rustem Umerov, who also led Kiev's delegation in negotiations with Russia in Istanbul, is the main candidate to become Ukraine's new ambassador to the United States, according to Zelensky.
'We need a person to be strong and to be in the context of the most important thing, in the context of strengthening Ukraine – through weapons, first of all,' Zelensky said after meeting with Umerov over the weekend.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry has faced multiple corruption scandals in recent years, with former defense chief Aleksey Reznikov stepping down in 2023 amid a scandal involving overpriced food contracts for the military. Four months later, his successor, Umerov, stated that an internal ministry audit had uncovered approximately $262 million in losses related to theft. Umerov himself was also reportedly under investigation by anti-corruption authorities for alleged abuse of power in connection with defense procurement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
9 hours ago
- Russia Today
Orban points to main hurdle in ending Ukraine conflict
The Ukraine conflict will only be resolved when both the West and Kiev accept that Ukraine cannot be a NATO member, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said. Budapest has consistently called for diplomacy and the immediate cessation of hostilities. Hungary has opposed Ukraine's bid to join NATO, arguing that such a move risks dragging Europe into a full-scale war with Russia. Since the conflict escalated in February 2022, Hungarian authorities have refused to send weapons to Kiev and continue to advocate a negotiated solution. 'Peace will come when Europeans and Ukrainians alike accept the fact that Russia will never allow NATO to establish a presence on its western border in Ukraine,' Orban said Saturday at a youth festival in Esztergom. The Kremlin has repeatedly stated that Ukraine's pursuit of NATO membership poses a direct threat to Russian national security and was a primary cause of the conflict's escalation. According to Moscow, NATO's expansion toward Russian borders is a red line, making Ukraine's bid unacceptable. Earlier this year, NATO members agreed on a plan to raise their defense budgets to 5% of GDP, citing the need to deter adversaries, primarily Russia, as the key reason for the move. A broader push among European NATO states to increase military spending has drawn sharp criticism from Russian officials. In June, the EU redirected approximately €335 billion ($390 billion) in Covid relief funds toward military uses. The previous month, Brussels introduced a €150 billion debt and loan instrument to support member states' armed forces and defense industries. Russia has condemned the steps, accusing both NATO and the EU of 'rabid militarization.' Orban also stated that a 'Russian threat' to Europe is unrealistic and does not exist, and should not shape EU policies. He warned that such an approach would result in faulty and incomplete decision making.
Russia Today
13 hours ago
- Russia Today
Four Russian civilians injured in latest Ukrainian drone raid
Dozens of Ukrainian drones attacked multiple Russian regions overnight, injuring at least four civilians and igniting fires in residential areas, local officials have reported. Voronezh Governor Alexander Gusev has said that approximately 15 drones targeted his region, with air defenses shooting down multiple UAVs over the city and three nearby districts. One private home was completely destroyed, while several others have suffered damage to their walls, windows, and roofs. A fire also damaged an auto shop and a shed in the suburbs. According to Gusev, two women have been hospitalized, while another received on-site medical assistance, and a man from the outskirts of the city has been admitted to a hospital with burns. In Sochi, a Ukrainian drone struck a fuel tank at an oil storage facility in Adler district, causing a large fire visible across the city. Local authorities have confirmed that emergency crews were dispatched to combat the blaze, which also affected nearby garages. The airport in Sochi has temporarily suspended operations due to the threat of additional UAV activity. Drone strikes have also been reported in other parts of Krasnodar Krai and in Bryansk Region, where local air defenses have downed several drones. No casualties have been reported in those areas. Tatarstan, Samara, and Ivanovo regions have declared a heightened alert status due to potential drone threats, activating emergency protocols and warning residents to take shelter. Four civilians were killed in a separate wave of Ukrainian drone attacks on Friday night. According to regional officials, fatalities were recorded in Penza, Samara, and Zaporozhye regions, where drone strikes damaged industrial and residential infrastructure. Russia's Defense Ministry said that a total of 112 Ukrainian drones were intercepted across Russian territory overnight. Most of the UAVs were reportedly neutralized over Rostov and Krasnodar regions. Ukraine has been carrying out drone attacks deep into Russia for months, frequently striking residential buildings and critical infrastructure. In retaliation, Moscow has been using high-precision weapons to attack Ukraine's military-related targets, while insisting the strikes are never aimed at civilians.
Russia Today
a day ago
- Russia Today
Germany and rest of EU transforming into Fourth Reich
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Germany and the wider European Union of sliding into what he described as a 'Fourth Reich,' marked by a surge in Russophobia and aggressive militarization. The stark warning was delivered in an article published on Friday in the newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act on European security. Lavrov criticized the EU and NATO for betraying the core principles of the Helsinki process, which emphasized equal and indivisible security for all. Instead, he claimed that Western powers have pursued unilateral dominance, NATO expansion, and political interference in sovereign states under the guise of promoting democracy and human rights. 'Today's Europe has completely plunged into a Russophobic frenzy, and its militarization is becoming, in fact, uncontrolled,' Lavrov wrote, citing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's calls to build Europe's strongest army and reintroduce conscription as evidence. He also pointed to recent remarks by Germany's defense minister about the need to be prepared to kill Russian soldiers as further proof of a hostile and dehumanizing agenda. This brings historical events to mind. With their current leaders, modern Germany and the rest of Europe are transforming into a Fourth Reich. He argued that the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has failed in its mission and has instead become a vehicle for Western propaganda and selective enforcement. He said the West ignored Russian calls for equitable security guarantees, and that NATO's continued encroachment on Russia's borders left Moscow no choice but to launch its 2022 military operation in Ukraine. To defuse tensions, Lavrov called for 'an honest dialogue' aimed at stabilizing the situation on the Eurasian continent through a new security framework based on sovereign equality and the principles of the UN Charter. 'There will be a place for European countries within this architecture,' he wrote, 'but they certainly will not be the ones calling the tune. If they want to be part of the process, they must learn proper manners, abandon diktat and colonial instincts, and get used to equality and teamwork.' Lavrov concluded by warning that if NATO and the EU continue to hollow out the OSCE's core principles, the organization may collapse altogether, and history will remember those who 'buried' the last chance for peaceful coexistence in Europe.
