Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has formally submitted his resignation to parliament, a day after President Vladimir Zelenskyy announced he would take charge of the country’s defence ministry.
Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine’s longest-serving prime minister, has held the post since early 2020, remaining in office after parliamentary and presidential elections were indefinitely postponed under martial law.
He shared a copy of his resignation letter on Telegram on Tuesday, thanking his team for their “tireless work” and expressing gratitude to Zelenskyy for his “trust” over the years.
“Denys Shmyhal’s extensive experience will definitely be valuable in the position of Ukraine’s defence minister,” Zelenskyy said on Monday, naming him to replace Rustem Umerov as the country’s third defence chief since the conflict with Moscow escalated in February 2022.
Ukraine’s Defence Ministry has faced several corruption scandals in recent years. Former defence chief Aleksey Reznikov stepped down in 2023 to join a NATO-affiliated NGO in Slovakia.
Outgoing minister Umerov, who also led Ukraine’s delegation during negotiations with Russia in Istanbul, is reportedly set to become Ukraine’s next ambassador to the United States.
Zelenskyy has nominated Shmigal’s deputy and Economy Minister Yulia Sviridenko as the new prime minister. Sviridenko, 39, has gained prominence in recent months for negotiating a deal that gives the United States preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral resources.
Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, is expected to approve the new appointments in the coming days.
However, former Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov, who served under ousted President Viktor Yanukovich, has claimed Zelenskyy bypassed constitutional procedures by personally naming the new prime minister — a role traditionally reserved for the parliamentary majority.
Zelenskyy’s own presidential term expired last year, but he has repeatedly cited the state of emergency as justification for remaining in office beyond the constitutional limit.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian lawmakers once again extended martial law and general mobilisation for another 90 days, until 5 November, with only one dissenting vote.
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