Sources: Ukraine prepares high-level reshuffle in parliament vote
Photo: Denys Shmyhal and Mykhailo Fedorov (facebook.com MinistryofDefence.UA)
On Tuesday, January 13, Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, is set to dismiss Denys Shmyhal and Mykhailo Fedorov from their current positions and reappoint them to new positions. The dismissal of Vasyl Malyuk is also expected, while the position of Minister of Justice remains vacant for now, according to an informed source.
According to the source, a meeting of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction took place on Tuesday evening, where personnel decisions were discussed. In particular, Shmyhal and Fedorov presented plans for their work in their future roles. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko also attended the meeting.
The source said there are enough votes in parliament to support their dismissal and reappointment.
As for Malyuk, faction leader Davyd Arakhamia urged lawmakers to back the president’s decision regarding the head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The issue is expected to be brought up again before the relevant parliamentary committee on national security on Wednesday morning. The source added that it is unclear whether Yevhen Khmara would be appointed to replace Malyuk.
The Justice Ministry will remain without a permanent head for now, as the candidacy of lawmaker Denys Maslov will not be put forward.
"The reason is that it is unclear who would replace Maslov as head of the Verkhovna Rada committee," the source said.
As a result, the Ministry of Justice will continue to be led by an acting head.
Meanwhile, Dmytro Natalukha is expected to be appointed as head of the State Property Fund as early as Wednesday. Lawmakers Dmytro Kysylevskyi and Oleksii Movchan are being considered to replace him as head of the Verkhovna Rada committee.
Personnel reshuffles in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently decided to dismiss Vasyl Malyuk from his post as head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). This came amid a wave of personnel changes in the security agencies and beyond.
According to Zelenskyy, Malyuk will now oversee asymmetric operations against the Russian forces. On the same day, the SBU chief submitted his resignation. It became known last week that the resignation had been submitted to Parliament.
On Monday, January 12, the Verkhovna Rada committee on defense failed to secure enough votes to support Malyuk’s dismissal.
Earlier, on January 2, Zelenskyy said he had proposed that First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov take over as Minister of Defense.
The following day, January 3, the President proposed that Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal move to the post of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy.
On Friday, January 9, it became known that Fedorov and Shmyhal had submitted their resignations.
More details on the personnel reshuffles can be found in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
