Zelenskyy Reshuffles Government Amid Russian Attacks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and appointed Serhiy Koretsky as her replacement amid intensified Russian attacks on Kyiv. The move comes as Russia launched a new ballistic missile attack on the city, killing at least nine people according to Al Jazeera. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that cars burned in an eastern suburb after drone strikes, and in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia, Russian drones struck residential areas, injuring 11 people.

The government reshuffle includes the dismissal of Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, a move that has sparked protests across Ukraine. According to Al Jazeera, thousands of people demonstrated against his dismissal in cities across Ukraine on Thursday and Friday. Fedorov is widely seen as the driving force behind Ukraine’s swift and successful technological innovation and other measures, such as fighting military corruption.

The Guardian reports that protests outside Kyiv’s Ivan Franko theatre speculated that Fedorov was removed due to being seen as a future presidential rival. Demonstrators expressed support for Fedorov's modernizing efforts and criticized Zelenskyy's preference for an old-fashioned management style.

The Guardian notes that Ukraine's successful campaign to knock out oil refineries has forced Russia to seek gasoline from Indian refiners as Moscow grapples with its worst-ever fuel crisis. Top Russian energy companies have approached Indian refiners for more gasoline, but the Indian oil minister Hardeep Singh Puri said this month that Indian companies were not selling fuel to the Russians.

The reshuffle comes as Ukraine and nine other countries announced the formation of a coalition to protect Europe from ballistic missiles. According to Los Angeles Times, the coalition, which includes Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, aims to build a shared ballistic missile defense capability for Europe.

The Guardian reports that Zelenskyy defended his decision to dismiss Fedorov during a press conference in Kyiv with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Zelenskyy acknowledged a 'challenging dialogue' between Fedorov and military commander Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, stating that unity was not achieved. He emphasized the need for unity but indicated that the decision to back Syrskyi was necessary.

Reuters adds that Fedorov accused Ukraine's top brass of obstructing reforms and using Soviet-style methods. He claimed that decisions on military support were based on 'loyalty' rather than data, hindering the development of the system. Fedorov also suggested that his dismissal was due to his proposal to replace Syrskyi.

Reuters further reports that Ukraine's parliament approved Koretsky as the new prime minister with 289 votes in favor. Addressing parliament, Koretsky stated that Ukraine's defense, economic stability, and EU integration were his key priorities.