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Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has appointed businessman Sergey Koretsky as the country's new prime minister, according to a live broadcast of the hearing reported by TASS. The vote took place amid widespread protests across Ukraine and follows the dismissal of the previous prime minister, Yulia Sviridenko, just two days earlier.

Coverage Comparison

TASS, the Russian state news agency, provided the sole coverage of this story in the material reviewed. Its reports describe the parliamentary proceedings, the backgrounds of the officials involved, and the political context surrounding the reshuffle. The agency's accounts focus on the procedural details of the votes and the broader implications for Ukraine's government.

Key Claims

  • Sergey Koretsky was appointed as Ukraine's prime minister, with 289 lawmakers supporting the decision. The vote required 226 votes for approval.
  • Yulia Sviridenko was dismissed as prime minister on July 14, with 258 lawmakers voting in favor of her dismissal. Five abstained and one voted against.
  • Under Ukrainian law, the resignation of the prime minister automatically triggers the resignation of the entire cabinet. Cabinet members will remain in office in a caretaker capacity until a new government is appointed.
  • Koretsky, born in Ukraine's Volyn Region in 1978, is a businessman with no public administration experience. He assumed leadership of the state-run energy companies Ukrnafta and Ukrtatnafta in 2022 and represented Kiev's position in the suspension of oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline in early 2026.
  • Ukrainian media outlets, as cited by TASS, suggest Koretsky's appointment was aided by informal ties with President Vladimir Zelensky and his friend and business partner Timur Mindich. No official information on Koretsky's involvement in corruption scandals linked to Mindich has been reported.
  • Protests occurred across Ukraine amid the prime minister vote, sparked by Kiev's decision not to retain Mikhail Fyodorov as defense chief in the new cabinet.
  • Igor Klimenko, the Interior Minister, is expected to become defense minister, but due to the protests, parliament is facing difficulties in obtaining enough votes for his appointment.
  • Sviridenko's resignation was initiated by President Zelensky, according to her statement during a parliamentary committee meeting on July 13. She submitted her resignation to parliament the previous day.
  • The government reshuffle was prompted by mounting pressure on Olga Stefanishina due to an investigation by NABU, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.
  • Parliament is expected to appoint new ministers on July 16, though the vote has been delayed by a two-hour break to allow lawmakers to debate cabinet nominations.
  • Ukrainian ministers learned of their impending dismissal from a Telegram post by President Zelensky and do not yet know who will retain their positions, according to ruling Servant of the People party lawmaker Olga Vasilevskaya-Smaglyuk.
  • Lawmakers, including members of the Servant of the People party, expressed frustration that the government's dismissal had not been coordinated with them before the vote.
  • Regarding Sviridenko's future, Yaroslav Zheleznyak previously said she would become Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, but Vasilevskaya-Smaglyuk later said Sviridenko had not yet made a final decision.