Ukraine names energy chief Serhii Koretskyi PM for war's hardest winter

Kyiv,UPDATED: Jul 16, 2026 23:12 IST

Ukraine on Thursday named state energy company chief Serhii Koretskyi as its new prime minister, handing the 48-year-old engineer-turned-business executive the task of leading the country through what officials expect could be the hardest winter of the war because of Russian attacks. He is Ukraine's third prime minister since Russia's full-scale invasion, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked him to steer the cash-strapped wartime government through a difficult period.

Koretskyi is not a typical choice to lead the government. Unlike many of Ukraine's senior officials, he did not rise through political parties, parliament or the civil service. He built his career in business, spending more than two decades managing fuel and food companies before being chosen to run troubled state-owned energy firms, where he gained a reputation as an effective crisis manager who turned around struggling enterprises and made them profitable.

His premiership began amid political turbulence. As lawmakers voted to confirm him, hundreds of protesters gathered in the city centre, angry with Zelenskyy and accusing him of unfairly sidelining popular Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in the sudden government reshuffle announced this week. Addressing parliament, Koretskyi said his immediate priorities were to protect Ukraine's damaged energy system, stabilise the economy, ensure international aid is spent effectively and expand domestic arms production.

In 2022, after the government took control of oil producer Ukrnafta and refinery operator Ukrtatnafta from oligarch Ihor Kolomoiskyi, Koretskyi was appointed to lead both companies at the same time. Within two years, Ukrnafta reported record profits, cleared its tax debts and expanded production. The company became one of Ukraine's largest taxpayers and a major contributor to the war effort by supplying fuel to the military and funding drones.

Last year, Koretskyi was chosen to head Naftogaz, the state energy giant, at a difficult moment. Gas reserves had fallen to record lows after the previous management failed to secure enough imports and Russia stepped up strikes on production facilities. He ordered an audit that led to a broad restructuring, removing overlapping functions and streamlining staffing, moves that drew criticism inside the company. Under his leadership, Naftogaz rebuilt gas reserves to more than 13 billion cubic metres and raised nearly USD 1 billion. Zelenskyy has described Koretskyi as "the most prepared candidate" for prime minister, with readiness for winter as the main priority.

Koretskyi now moves from reviving state energy companies to leading Ukraine's wartime government, with winter preparedness, economic stability, aid management and arms production at the centre of his agenda.

With PTI Inputs

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