As the summer sun wanes, so too does the old guard of the Ukrainian cabinet.
A major shake-up of the government is under way in Ukraine after at least six Ministers resigned and a presidential aide was fired.
Among those who quit was Minister for Strategic Industries, Oleksandr Kamyshin who was in charge of weapons production. He said he expected to take another role in defence.
Deputy Prime Minister, Olha Stefanishyna as well as the Justice, Environment and Reintegration Ministers also resigned, as did the head of Ukraine’s State Property Fund, Vitaliy Koval.
About a third of the positions in the cabinet are now vacant.
With major roles now in flux, the air is thick with speculation about whether this overhaul will deliver the reforms Ukraine so desperately needs or if it will merely shuffle the deck chairs on a sinking ship.
In his regular evening address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated the need for change.
“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.
“For this, we must strengthen some areas of the government and changes in its makeup have been prepared. There will also be changes in the (President’s) office.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
A decree on the President’s website showed that he had also fired Rostyslav Shurma, a Deputy Chief of staff who handles the economy.
In a broader context, this government overhaul is not merely about filling empty seats but about restructuring Ukraine’s trajectory amidst turbulent geopolitical waters.
Zelenskyy’s drive to consolidate and streamline ministries might be seen as an effort to cut through bureaucratic red tape, but it also raises crucial questions about the effectiveness and stability of the new administrative structure.
David Arakhamia, a senior lawmaker for the ruling party, said more than half the ministers in government were likely to change.
Zelenskyy has ordered several reshuffles since Russia began its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Last September, he sacked his defence minister amid a series of corruption scandals and more recently replaced the military’s top commander after setbacks on the battlefield.
At least five portfolios have been vacant since ministers were fired or resigned earlier this year, including the important agriculture and infrastructure portfolios.
Opposition lawmaker Iryna Herashchenko said, “It’s a government without ministers … an intellectual and personnel crisis that the authorities are closing their eyes to”.
She called for a government of national unity that would end the tight grip on the reins of power held by Zelenskyy’s political team.
Zelenskyy’s elected term ended in May, but he has remained in his post because Ukraine is under martial law.
Ukraine At Critical Point In War
The shake-up comes at a critical point in the war against Russian forces advancing on the eastern front.
It comes as Russia claims gains in the east and bombards Ukraine with almost daily drone and missile attacks despite Ukraine’s advance into the Russian border region of Kursk.
Air defence units fought off a Russian drone attack on the capital Kyiv in the early hours of Wednesday, September 4, 2024.
At least 51 people were killed and 271 injured on the previous day after Russia struck a military institute and nearby hospital in the central town of Poltava with two ballistic missiles.
Two people – a mother and her son – were also killed when a Russian missile hit the hotel where they were staying in the southern Zaporizhia region.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy is due to travel to the United States, a key ally, this month where he is expected to outline his “victory plan” to President Joe Biden.
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