(Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba submitted his resignation on Wednesday, taking the total to six cabinet ministers in two days amid speculation of preparations for a broad government reshuffle.
Kuleba followed Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshyn, who oversees domestic weapons production, Deputy Premier for European Integration Olha Stefanishyna and the ministers of justice, environment protection and reintegration of occupied territories in submitting resignations to parliament. The legislature will vote to approve the resignations at the nearest session, the assembly’s speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said in a post on Facebook.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is preparing for a government overhaul as Ukraine approaches its third winter since the start of Russia’s invasion and faces a growing barrage of Russian missile attacks in recent weeks. The shakeup is taking place as Ukraine contends with mounting challenges in maintaining energy supplies amid the Russian attacks as the winter heating season looms.
“Autumn is going to be very important, and our government institutions have to be tuned to help Ukraine achieve its results,” Zelenskiy said in his daily video address late Tuesday. “We have to strengthen certain areas in the cabinet, and staff decisions have already been prepared.”
The president said he expected a “somewhat different emphasis” in some areas of domestic and foreign policy, without elaborating. He said there would also be changes in the presidential office.
The head of the State Property Fund, Vitaliy Koval, also submitted his resignation. Late Tuesday, Zelenskiy dismissed the deputy head of his office Rostyslav Shurma, who oversaw economic issues.
Earlier this week state-owned company Ukrenergo, which operates Ukraine’s power grid, dismissed its chief Volodymyr Kudrytskyi. He lost his post amid an increasing outcry over regular blackouts and allegations of failing to provide effective protection to energy infrastructure against Russian aerial strikes.
(Updates with Zelenskiy’s comments and three more resignation requests)
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