3 months ago
22
In a sign of a significant government reshuffle, several key ministers in Ukraine stepped down late on Tuesday, at a crucial point in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Oleksandr Kamyshin, the strategic industries minister, resigned in preparation for a new role in the defence sector, while deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishyna and the ministers of justice, environment, and reintegration also left their positions.
This leaves more than a third of the cabinet vacant, following earlier dismissals this year.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his political allies may use this opportunity to fill the vacant positions and create order before his upcoming visit to the United States, where he plans to present a "victory plan" to President Joe Biden.
Zelenskyy stressed the importance of the autumn season for Ukraine and the need to strengthen certain areas of the government. "Autumn will be extremely important for Ukraine. And our state institutions should be configured so that Ukraine achieves all the results that we need - for all of us," Zelenskyy said in his address.
He also dismissed Rostyslav Shurma, one of his deputy chiefs of staff responsible for the economy.
David Arakhamia, a senior lawmaker from Zelenskyy's party, announced that there would be a "
major government reset
," with more than half of the ministers being replaced. Stefanishyna, who has been focusing on Ukraine's bid to join the European Union and Nato, may be appointed as the head of a larger ministry that combines her previous role with that of the justice ministry, according to a source from Zelenskiy's party cited by the Suspilne public broadcaster.
Kamyshin, who has been leading Ukraine's efforts to increase
defence production
, ranging from attack drones to long-range missiles, said, "I will continue working in the defence sector but in a different role."
He was appointed in March 2023 after establishing himself as an effective manager of the national railways, which served as a vital logistics artery for both civilians and the military during the first year of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Under his leadership, Ukraine produced thousands of long-range drones to attack Russia, and last month, Zelenskiy announced the use of a new "drone-missile" and the testing of a new ballistic missile.
