Shmyhal appointed to new position: First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy
14 January 15:07
The Verkhovna Rada supported the appointment of Denys Shmyhal as Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Energy. 248 MPs voted in favor of the decision, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
Thus, for the second time, the Verkhovna Rada was able to appoint Shmyhal as Minister of Energy. During the first vote, which took place yesterday, his candidacy did not receive sufficient support—only 210 MPs voted in favor of his appointment.
Shmyhal’s transition from the Ministry of Defense
On January 2 , President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed Mikhail Fedorov for the position of Minister of Defense and Shmygal for the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy. The next day, both ministers wrote letters of resignation.
Shmyhal headed the Ministry of Energy amid Russian attacks
On January 3, the president announced that he had consulted with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on the appointment of Shmyhal as first deputy prime minister and energy minister.
The head of state noted that he thanked Shmyhal “for his systematic work” in the Ministry of Defense and for activating processes to protect Ukraine, and emphasized that the same systematic approach is needed for the energy sector. It will help to quickly restore facilities after Russian strikes and ensure the stable development of the industry.
Prior to Shmyhal’s appointment, Artem Nekrasov was temporarily in charge of the Ministry of Energy. Former Minister Svitlana Grynychuk may be linked to the large-scale Midas case, which is being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) regarding corruption in the energy sector.
