Ukraine: Serhiy Koretskyi appointed as new Prime Minister. Intelligence official appointed as acting Defence Minister

According to the Kyiv Independent, during that period Ukrnafta significantly increased its oil and gas production, becoming one of Ukraine’s most profitable state-owned enterprises. Before entering the state-owned energy sector, Koretskyi had built his career in Ukraine’s private fuel industry. In 2013, he became chief executive of Continuum Group and its WOG network of petrol stations. He was also the founder and owner of the Ukrainian coffee shop chain Idealist Coffee Co.

“I am taking up the post of Prime Minister of Ukraine with a clear set of priorities,” he wrote on X following his appointment. “Our main task is to fully equip the Ukrainian defence forces and accelerate the expansion of our defence industrial base. “We will do everything possible to ensure that the Ukrainian military has the capabilities required for every long-range operation, every precision strike and every frontline defence mission, including drones of all types, ground-based robotic systems, advanced equipment and modern weapons,” he said.

Meanwhile, protests continue in Kyiv and across the rest of Ukraine following the resignation of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov as part of the new government reshuffle ordered by Zelensky. In the Ukrainian capital, hundreds of people have gathered in Franko Square, according to reports by Ukrainska Pravda. Protesters are holding up placards bearing slogans such as: ‘Fedorov is the Defence Minister’, ‘Why?’, ‘Don’t change a winning formula’, ‘Hands off Fedorov’, ‘Put Fedorov back in his post’ and ‘Power still belongs to the people’. The Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne reported that similar demonstrations are also taking place in other parts of Ukraine. Demonstrations are also being held in the cities of Ivano-Frankivsk, Vinnytsia, Lutsk and Odessa.

A Kiev, in Ucraina, il 16 luglio 2026, la gente protesta contro la decisione del presidente ucraino Volodymyr Zelenskiy di sostituire Mykhailo Fedorov alla carica di ministro della Difesa, mentre la Russia continua ad attaccare l’Ucraina. Sul cartello si legge: «Riportate Fedorov». REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Fodorov’s departure has also had repercussions within the Ukrainian military hierarchy. The deputy commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Pavlo Yelizarov, has in fact announced his resignation,

the day after President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the Defence Minister. “I believe that Mr Fedorov’s dismissal is a serious blow to the country’s defence capabilities,” Yelizarov wrote on his Facebook page, attaching a copy of his letter of resignation. Mykhailo Fedorov had appointed him to this post on 19 January 2026. In his letter of resignation, Colonel Yelizarov writes that the removal of Fedorov – who had made reforming the air defence sector one of his priorities – risks leading to an increase in casualties and destruction in the face of Russian missile and drone attacks.

Mykhailo Fedorov has got a few things off his chest. In a briefing reported by the Ukrainian media, the former Defence Minister revealed that he had asked Volodymyr Zelensky to replace the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, stating that, following this request, all proposals from the Ministry of Defence aimed at improving the performance of troops on the front line had met with resistance.

“When the President said he had no intention of replacing Syrsky, I fully agreed with that decision and said that this meant I would learn to work with him. But we found ourselves faced with the fact that all the initiatives we proposed were starting to be blocked. And Syrsky is unwilling to discuss the issues face to face. He is prepared to engage in scheming rather than acknowledge the problem with the actions currently taking place. Instead of devising a way to defeat Russia, he has devised a way to divide the country,” said Fedorov, as quoted by Ukrainska Pravda.

Una foto fornita dall’Ufficio Stampa Presidenziale ucraino mostra il ministro della Difesa ucraino Mykhailo Fedorov presente all’incontro tra il presidente ucraino Volodymyr Zelensky e il ministro della Difesa tedesco Boris Pistorius (non presente nella foto) a Kiev, Ucraina, l’11 maggio 2026. Boris Pistorius è giunto a Kiev in visita ufficiale nel contesto dell’invasione russa in corso. EPA

The former defence minister went on to say that Zelensky had offered him an advisory role, which he had, however, turned down: “Yesterday’s conversation with the president was normal. He offered me the chance to become an adviser, or to find another way to remain part of the team. I turned down the advisory role. It has never been my aim to become a minister, to remain a minister, or to seek positions,” he said.

“In principle, today’s meeting with you is also about what I do and what I believe in: in accordance with my values. I believe we must tell the truth. We cannot be held hostage by certain obligations,” suggested Fedorov.

“Either we close our eyes and say: ‘All right, let’s just leave things as they are.’ Or we say: ‘Enough is enough; the Ukrainian people really know how to fight. In 2022, the Ukrainian people took to the streets and showed the Russians that they had underestimated the Ukrainians,” Fedorov continued.

The former defence minister is convinced that the Ukrainians have the means to stop the enemy right now. “And we mustn’t be like the Russians. We need to change our approach and we must tell the truth,” the former minister concluded.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has appointed Yevgeny Khmara, a career intelligence officer, as acting Minister of Defence, following the controversial resignation of his predecessor. “I have entrusted Yevgeny Khmara with the role of acting minister and with continuing the reform of the defence sector,” Zelensky told X, praising his “solid experience” within the SBU, the Ukrainian Security Service.

Ukraine awarded the Order of Freedom to the outgoing British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, during his most recent visit to Kyiv. “Britain has always stood, and continues to stand, by Ukraine’s side, and we greatly value this bond,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Starmer during a press conference in Kyiv.

Starmer took the opportunity to announce further support for the Ukrainian people: “I am pleased to inform you that today we are taking a further step forward, as I can announce that the UK, together with Sweden, will provide 300 million euros to support the delivery of 16 new, modern aircraft that will help protect Ukrainian airspace,” said the outgoing British Prime Minister.

The Russian Ministry of Defence has reported that the army has struck railway locomotives used to transport military supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces. “The crews of Geran drones carried out precision strikes against railway locomotives used to transport military supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces,” reads a post on the Russian Ministry of Defence’s Telegram channel, which has shared footage of the attack.

Russia accuses Ukraine of killing the chief engineer of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in a drone strike on the service vehicle in which he was travelling near the plant. The driver was also killed in the attack. Rosatom director Alexei Likhachev has claimed that Aleksandr Yakovlev died in a “targeted terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime”.

The spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, then called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other international organisations to strongly condemn the murder of the power station’s chief engineer. ““IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi must finally acknowledge this crime committed by the regime in Kyiv. We call for a clear and detailed statement from the relevant international organisations, first and foremost the IAEA, condemning this murder,” the spokesperson urged.

The United Kingdom and Estonia have signed an agreement under which London has committed to deploying a further 300 military personnel to the Baltic state by next spring, in addition to the 900 already stationed in Estonia, as well as to transferring further consignments of ammunition for deep-strike operations there. Commenting on the agreement, the British Defence Secretary, Dan Jarvis, emphasised that the agreement represents a contribution to common European security and a response to the changing nature of modern warfare, which will enhance NATO’s readiness on its north-eastern flank.

The Agency’s leadership was quick to respond. “Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi condemns the incident, describing it as an unacceptable attack on the plant and its management, which seriously threatens nuclear safety,” the International Atomic Energy Agency wrote on X. “The IAEA calls for an immediate end to all attacks against or in the vicinity of nuclear sites and their staff, says Director General Grossi.”

At present, there are no prospects for a swift resumption of negotiations on Ukraine, but Russia remains open to this course of action. This was stated by the Russian presidential spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, commenting on reports that Turkey will continue to organise negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to resolve the conflict. “We are not seeing any such prospects at the moment, but the Russian side certainly remains open to this approach,” said Peskov, as quoted by Interfax. “We are grateful to the Turkish side for this,” said the Kremlin spokesperson, commenting on Ankara’s willingness to continue its efforts to facilitate the search for a peaceful solution.

The missile and drone war between Russia and Ukraine shows no sign of abating. The Russian Engels-2 airbase in the Saratov Oblast was struck by Ukrainian drones overnight. This has been reported – as per The Kyiv Independent – by several Russian news channels on Telegram. Photos and videos posted on social media by local residents show a fire at the airbase. Furthermore, several drones were spotted over the town of Engels. Explosions and widespread power cuts have been reported. Located almost 600 kilometres from the Ukrainian front line, the Engels airbase is home to the 184th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment and the 121st Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment. It houses Russian strategic bombers used for air strikes, including the Tupolev Tu-95, the Tupolev Tu-22 and the Tupolev Tu-160.

In the last few hours, Russian night-time raids on Kyiv have killed two people and injured at least five others, including a child, according to reports from the Ukrainian emergency services, after explosions rocked the capital shortly after midnight. The attack is the latest in a series of almost daily Russian bombardments of Ukrainian cities, as Moscow continues its invasion, now in its fifth year.

The Russian army has launched a missile attack on infrastructure in Odessa, killing one person and injuring another. This was announced on Telegram by the head of the city’s military administration, Serhiy Lysak, according to a report by Ukrinform. “Another missile attack on the city. The infrastructure has been hit again,” reads the post, in which Lysak adds that one person was killed and another injured in the enemy attack. The building housing the Professional Institute of Maritime and Rail Transport was also damaged in the attack.